IS takes in Egypt Christians targeted

cairo - The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) on Sunday threatened shortly after two bloody suicide attacks on churches in northern Egypt with more violence against Christians. 'The crusaders and infidels to pay with the blood of their sons,' was a statement distributed by IS-channels. The statement mentioned two names were the perpetrators.

Two suicide bombers blew himself up Sunday in a church in Tanta, 80 kilometers north of Cairo, and in a church in Alexandria, 90 kilometers away. When the attacks are certainly 44 people slain and there were about 120 wounded. It was the bloodiest attacks on the Christian minority for years. The churches were crowded on the last Sunday before Easter. The head of the Egyptian Coptic Church, paus Tawadros II, was in the church in Alexandria, but was unharmed.

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The Roman Catholic paus Franciscus plans late visit Cairo this month. He prayed Sunday for the victims. UN chief António Guterres hoped the perpetrators of this horrific terrorist attack are caught quickly. Minister Bert Koenders (Foreign Affairs) expressed his condolences and said that the Copts are hit hard on Palm Sunday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for three-month state of emergency and to protect the army ordered over the country public buildings and infrastructure. The extra protection is expected to change little in the street. Soldiers are everywhere in the country almost continuously ruled by generals since 1952.

SEE ALSO: Egypt Army to protect public buildings

General al-Sisi hold early July 2013 the power and pursue both moderate Islamists as extremists. Critics of al-Sisi repression fuels extremism on. But many Christians see him as a shield against the Sunni extremism Middle East teases. Of the more than ninety million Egyptians there are an estimated 13.5 million Christians.