Egypt stops terrorist plot targeting series of churches

CAIRO – 17 April 2017: Egypt’s Homeland Security arrested Sunday 13 terrorists who were planning to target churches with explosions in the following days, the Ministry of Interior stated.

The suspects were in possession of tons of explosives, landmines, war detonators and automatic weapons, according to the statement.

The strike was based on information uncovered by Homeland Security. “Muslim Brotherhood leaders abroad have ordered the formation of groups in the governorates of Damietta, Beheira, Alexandria and Kafr El Sheikh to carry out a series of bombings and hostile acts against state institutions, governmental and Christian entities and a number of public figures and police officials to create chaos, instability and fuel internal strife,” the ministry stated.

Police further discovered two farms in Beheira and Alexandria, where the terrorists established secret underground bunkers to manufacture explosive devices and store weapons and ammunition.

The police crackdown comes after two deadly attacks that targeted Mar Girgis Church in Tanta and Alexandria’s Coptic Orthodox Church, leaving at least 45 dead and over 110 injured.

The suicide bombers in both attacks were identified as members of a terrorist cell led by the fugitive extremist Amr Saad Abbas Ibrahim.