Death toll in Cairo church bombing rises to 27

An Egyptian woman who was severely wounded in the Cairo church bombing on 11 December died of her injuries on Saturday, Coptic Orthodox Church official Bassem Salah told Ahram Online.

Isis Fares, 63, suffered a brain injury after she was struck in the head by shrapnel during the bombing, which was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks against Egyptian civilians in years.

A suicide bomber set off explosives in the women’s section of the church, killing 23 people, mostly women and children, and injuring more than 40.

Three more people later died of their injuries.

Authorities have identified the bomber as 22-year-old Egyptian national Mahmoud Shafiq Mohamed Mostafa.

Four others suspected of involvement in the attack have been arrested, including one woman.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Egypt’s interior ministry accused members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation residing in Qatar of plotting the bombing.

Source: Ahram Online