At least 20 dead in blast at Cairo church

CAIRO: An explosion in a Cairo church on Sunday near the headquarters of the Coptic pope killed at least 20 people, the health ministry said. The blast ripped through the church around 10:00 am (0800 GMT), Egyptian security officials said.



The blast at the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbasiya neighbourhood also wounded 10 people, the ministry said.

There weren't any claims of responsibility for any attack, but extremists in Sinai have targeted Christians before, as well as Muslims they accuse of working with the government.



Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 90 million, have faced persecution and discrimination that spiked during the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled by a popular uprising in 2011.

Dozens have been killed in recent years in sectarian attacks and clashes throughout Egypt.