Egypt terror attack sends country back to state of emergency

That explosion killed 30 Christians and injured dozens more.

Men mourn over the coffin of one of the victims of the April 9, 2017 blast at the Coptic Christian Saint Mark's Church in Alexandria, Egypt, during a funeral procession at the Monastery of Marmina in the city of Borg El-Arab, east of Alexandria, on April 10, 2017.

The Palm Sunday attacks, the single deadliest day for Egypt's 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.

However, Megahed el-Zayat, vice chairman of the National Center for Middle East Studies believes the measure is now essential and will give authorities increased powers to achieve security and stability.

The Egyptian parliament today voted unanimously in favour of a three-month state of emergency declared by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi following the Palm Sunday terror attacks that left 46 people dead.

We pray for His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and all our Coptic clergy in Egypt who continue to serve their spiritual children faithfully and diligently at a time in which their leadership and pastoral care is needed by our whole community.

The suicide bombings were claimed by ISIS, who has been ramping up attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt in recent months.

The group later released a video threatening Egypt's Christians with more attacks.

Earlier Tuesday the Interior Ministry said in a statement that Egyptian police has killed seven suspected Islamic State militants in a shoot-out in the southern city of Assiut on Monday. Islamic State later claimed responsibility for that attack.

Worshippers had been celebrating Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking Jesus's triumphant entrance to Jerusalem. Anyone who's different from them now is an infidel, whether they're Muslim or Christian.

The law's return raises fears among some Egyptians, who see it as a formal return to the pre-2011 police state, at a time when rights activists say they already face the worst crackdown in their history.

A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in the restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish, led some Coptic families to flee.

Sunday's blasts are the latest attacks against Christians.

However, Christians have been specifically targeted in terrorist attacks in the country in the last few months. "U.S. strongly condemns. I have great confidence that President Al Sisi will handle situation properly", he tweeted.

"The attack.will only harden the determination (of the Egyptian people) to move forward on their trajectory to realise security, stability and comprehensive development", Sisi said in a statement.

The bishop said the representative of Egypt security he met advised the state and the people cooperate to improve protection at churches.