Funeral held for victims of Cairo Coptic church blast

A funeral service has been held by the Egyptian Coptic community for the 25 Christians killed in a bombing on Sunday.

The coffins of the victims were laid in front of the altar with their names displayed on the side facing the congregation.

State funeral is underway for victims of Coptic Church bomb attack pic.twitter.com/yzVrS7×3g2

— Mariam Mecky (@MariamMecky) December 12, 2016

#Cairo The funeral of the victims of the terrorist attack in the #Coptic Church.
The Patriarch #PopeTawadrs praying in front of 22 caskets. pic.twitter.com/Tkq7fPUtk0

— Federico Di Leo (@Fe_DiLeo) December 12, 2016

Pope Tawadros II, spiritual head of Egypt’s Orthodox Christians, led the service for the victims.

He had cut short his visit to Greece and returned home after the bombing.

The blast occurred during church service at the St Peter and Paul church adjacent to the main Coptic cathedral in Cairo.

Although no group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack, Islamic State supporters celebrated it on social media.

Egypt’s president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has condemned the attack describing it as cowardly and declared three days of national mourning.

The attack has also been condemned by the sunni leader, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar.