Explosion at Egyptian church during Palm Sunday service kills 21, injures dozens

At least 21 people were killed by an explosion at a Coptic Christian church in northern Egypt during a service to celebrate Palm Sunday, state television reported.

An additional 50 others were wounded in the blast at St. George (Mar Girgis) Coptic church in Tanta, it said. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, and marks the start of Holy Week for Christians.

Copts face persecution and discrimination that has spiked since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak's regime in 2011. Dozens have been killed in sectarian clashes. In December, an attack at a Coptic church in Cairo killed 25 people.