Church bombing death toll rises to 29 - agency

Saturday 04-02-2017 05:42 PM

Coptic Christians celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary at a church in Musturud, Eastern Cairo. August 21, 2016 (ASWAT MASRIYA/Jihad Abaza)

CAIRO, Feb 4 (Aswat Masriya) - The death toll of the St. Peter and St. Paul church bombing in December increased to 29 after the death of 14-year-old Dimyana Amir, reported state-run MENA news agency on Saturday.

The blast, which coincided with the Muslim celebration of the Prophet’s Birthday, took place at the church attached to one of Egypt’s most symbolic sites for Copts, St. Mark’s Coptic Cathedral.

Dozens of worshippers were injured in the explosion, many of whom are women and children attending Sunday mass. 

One day after the explosion, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi identified the suicide bomber as 22-year old Mahmoud Shafiq Mohamed Mostafa.

The interior ministry announced later that people in connection with the Muslim Brotherhood group schemed the attack on the church. 

The ministry said then that it arrested four people including a woman, all of whom assisted the suicide bomber.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

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