UN condemns terrorist attacks on Church in Egypt

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council have condemned the attacks on two Coptic churches in north Egypt, stressing the need to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"The secretary-general expresses his deep sympathies to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of the Arab Republic of Egypt," said a statement issued here by the spokesman of the secretary-general, the Xinhua reported.

"He wishes a quick recovery to those injured and hopes that the perpetrators of this horrific terrorist act will be swiftly identified and brought to justice," the statement added.

The 15-nation Security Council, in a separate press statement issued here Sunday, "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks" in north Egypt, and they expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government of Egypt and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security," the statement said.

"The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the government of Egypt and all other relevant authorities in this regard," said the council statement.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has reportedly claimed responsibility for the two attacks on churches in Egypt that left at least 37 people dead and injured several others.

"A security detachment of the Islamic State carried out the attacks against the two churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria," the New York Times quoted an online statement shared by sympathisers and attributed to the militants as saying.

At least 26 people were killed in a bomb attack near a church in Egypt's Tanta, north of Cairo.

Another explosion occurred in front of St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria killing at least 11 persons.

The explosions took place when Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria, was leading the Palm Sunday mass, local media reports said.

The pope, however, has been reported unhurt in the blast.