Hundreds of mourners, many outraged by what they said was the state's failure to keep them safe on one of their holiest days, carried wooden coffins to the beat of drums interrupted by the wails of those dressed in all black. "They don't want us to pray but we will pray", said Samira Adly, 53, whose neighbors were killed in the attack.
The second struck outside Saint Mark's church, killing 17 people after the suicide bomber was prevented from entering the building.
Across the street from St. George, neighbor Susan Mikhail, whose apartment has a clear balcony view of the church and its front yard, said the explosion violently shook her building midmorning, at a time when the church was packed.
The private CBC Extra channel aired footage of the Alexandria blast, with CCTV showing what appeared to be the church entrance engulfed in flame and flying concrete moments after a guard turned a man away.
In two bombings in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria, at least 43 people were killed.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again condemns these terrorist attacks, expresses its deepest condolences and sympathies to the victims' families as well as to the friendly and brotherly nation of Egypt and wishes a full recovery for those injured in these incidents", the statement added.
In a message to Egypt's Christian community following the deadly attacks, ISIS vowed that Sunday's violence would not be the last.
The army chief-turned-president also dispatched elite troops across the country to protect key installations and accused unidentified countries of fueling instability, saying that "Egyptians have foiled plots and efforts by countries and fascist, terrorist organizations that tried to control Egypt". "The security was right at the door, but the attacker managed to get in anyway".
"I heard the blast and came running". In a separate graphic published by Amaq, ISIS recalled its December 2016 bombing of a Coptic church that killed 26. Monday also marks the start of Passover.
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The emergency law expands police powers of arrest, surveillance and seizures and can limit freedom of movement.
Pope Francis will visit Egypt as planned this month despite the bombings, a Vatican official said.
Mina, a 52-year old government employee, said: "If the aim of these attacks is for us to stop going to church. this will not happen".
Copts, who make up about one-tenth of Egypt's population of more than 92 million, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months.
Egypt has struggled to combat a wave of Islamic militancy since the 2013 military overthrow of an elected Islamist president.
The Palm Sunday attacks, the single deadliest day for Christians in decades, rattled the community and prompted messages of support from overseas, including from Pope Francis, who is set to visit Egypt in the coming weeks, and President Donald Trump.
The most horrific aspect about this attack is that it is not an abnormal tragedy in Egypt. Christians in Egypt are used to being targeted for their faith.
Following the Sunday attacks, Israel closed its Taba border crossing to Egypt over concerns of an "imminent" militant attack there from its anti-terrorism office, according to the Associated Press.
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