According to Egypt’s interior ministry, the explosion that occurred Saturday morning in Egypt was the work of a suicide bomber. The bomber, who’s name and political affiliation is still unknown, was believed to be killed in the blast that wounded 79 and killed 21 people, according to local authorities.
On site forensic investigation revealed that the device was homemade and contained metal scraps, ball-bearings, and nails.
The church, which contained worshipers of a minority Christian sect known as Copts, was being guarded at the time by four local police officers, who were among those killed in the senseless act of terrorism. Copts comprise roughly 9% of the population, while a staggering 90% follow the Muslim faith.
An al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group publicly announced in November that any Christian in the Middle East was a “legitimate target.”
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak went on record a few hours after the bombing took place to say that “…we will chase the people who planned and committed this terrorism act, and we will chase the people involved with them.”
The relationship between Muslims and Christians in Egypt has been very tense in recent months, and many believe that the situation will soon reach a boiling point.
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