Church blast kills 21 in Egypt

01-02-2011 10:00 BJT

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The first day of 2011 in Egypt has been marred by a blast that killed 21 people outside a Christian church in Alexandria.

The attack raises suspicions of al-Qaeda's role in the country and comes in the wake of repeated threats by the terror group's operatives to attack Egyptian Christians.

Nearly one-thousand Christians were attending New Year's Mass at the Saints Church when the blast happened at midnight.

Gerges Ramzy, Injured Victim, said, "We cannot count the bodies, there are many injured. I want to know why. People came here to pray - why did this happen to them, I don't know."

The blast prompted hundreds of Christians to take to the streets in protest overnight.

They clashed with police and stormed a nearby mosque. Scuffles and stone throwing broke out between Christians and Muslims. Cars were also torched.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak denounced the attack, saying it indicated a foreign involvement that wants Egypt to be a place for terror.

Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian President, said, "I assure the whole world and all Egyptians that the terrorists are not going to succeed in threatening Egypt and threatening the unity of the Muslims and Christians living side-by-side in our country. I assure you, these terrorists are not going to threaten Egypt's stability or the unity of the Coptics and Muslims."

The attack comes at a time of rising sectarian tension in Egypt and the broader region.

A direct al-Qaeda hand in the bombing would be a dramatic development, as Egypt's government has long denied that the terror network has a significant presence in the country.