ALERT: Turkey- Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills Tourist, Injures Another 7 (April 9, 2017)
April 9, 2017
Alert – Turkey: Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills Tourist, Injures Another 7
Today, two different attacks on Coptic Christian churches occurred in Egypt – one in Alexandria killing 16 and another in Tanta killing 29. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the explosions that were timed to coincide with Palm Sunday services.
As a reminder, the U.S. State Department has a Travel Warning in place for Egypt (the Travel Warning was last updated in December), which states in part: “The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of threats from terrorist groups in Egypt and to consider the risks of travel to the country.”
According to BBC:
Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday have killed at least 45 people, officials say.
In Alexandria, an explosion outside St Mark’s Coptic church killed 16 people. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, had been attending Mass inside and was unhurt, state media reported. An earlier blast at St George’s Coptic church in Tanta killed 29 people.
So-called Islamic State (IS) says it is behind the explosions. The group has recently targeted Copts in Egypt.
Following the attacks, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi ordered military deployments to protect “vital and important infrastructure” across the country, the government said in a statement.
Four police officers, including one policewoman, were among those killed in Alexandria, the interior ministry said. The suicide bomber blew himself up after they stopped him from entering the church.
The first explosion in Tanta, 94km (58 miles) north of Cairo, took place near the altar. The explosions injured at least 71 people in Tanta and 35 others in Alexandria, the health ministry said.
The Egyptian government announced three days of mourning.
The blasts appear to have been timed for maximum impact, as people gathered to mark Palm Sunday. It is one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
Egyptian security forces had been put on alert in anticipation of attacks.
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