Explosive experts secure churches before New Year

CAIRO – 30 December 2017: Interior ministry’s explosive experts in Cairo and Giza are carefully checking 420 churches, in the two provinces, to avoid the presence of any foreign bodies and ensure any terrorist attacks are foiled, an anonymous high profile security source said on Saturday.

The source added that the Ministry has taken all the necessary precautions to protect churches, embassies, ministries and other vital institutions; as a security measure, traffic police will check cars in parking or waiting areas and will close areas in front of churches to vehicles.

Security forces will implement security procedures for all 2,326 churches in Egypt, including 1,326 Orthodox churches, 1,100 protestant churches and 200 catholic churches.

In the wake of the foiled terrorist attack that hit the Church of Great Martyr Mina in Helwan on Friday, leaving 10 dead and nine injured, Interior Minister, Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, called on security officials to raise the security alert to the maximum level across the country.

He further underscored the need for a heightened security presence in streets, squares and venues where celebrations are being held, as well as vital security installations. Regular security patrols are also ordered to be increased, and more traffic controllers are to be stationed on highways and main roads.

Concerning the security measures of churches, Ghaffar ordered security officers to be unrelenting in dealing with any potential attempts to break the law, and to install extra electronic entry gates in the vicinity of churches. He further ordered the creation of a 180-meter exclusion zone around churches.