Jerry Newcombe: Inside the Coptic Church bombings Jerry Newcombe

[TomSea]

April 20, 2017
Inside the Coptic Church bombings
By Jerry Newcombe

As we all know, on Palm Sunday, two bombings at Coptic Churches in Egypt killed nearly 50 persons and injured 120 others. I heard about two of my relatives-in-law, who were near enough to hear and feel the blast at St. Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria. Even though they had returned for a vacation in their native Alexandria and had even been married at St. Mark's, they are thankful that they providentially chose to worship at another church that particular morning.

An email to me from Coptic Solidarity includes this comment from one of their experts on what happened at St. Mark's: "[T]he Alexandria suicide bomber detonated himself outside the church. The videos (I've seen) show him trying to enter through a side gate, but the (Coptic) guard man told him to pass thru the metal detector set up by the police a few meters away. As the detector buzzed, he stepped back one step and detonated himself. All 17 victims were on the street around him, including 4 police. Some Muslims walking by were also killed."

He added, "Timing wise, the service had ended and the Pope [Coptic Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Church] just left the altar to a resting room in the back of the building. The security set up was especially higher than usual because of the presence of the Pope.

Continued: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/newcombe/170420