Death toll from Egyptian church attack rises to 23

CAIRO - Two more people died of injuries sustained from a New Year’s Eve attack outside a church in Egypt, pushing the death toll to 23, official media reported Tuesday.

The attack, which the government believes was carried out by a suicide bomber, targeted Christians outside the Coptic Church of the Saints in the northern city of Alexandria during an evening mass.

The ministry of health had originally said the number of people killed was 21, but two more people died as a result of their wounds.

According to the government, nearly half of the 100 injured - which included Muslim bystanders - have been released from hospitals, a state-run news website reported.

The attack spurred a wave of anger and protests among Egypt’s Christian minority. Violent clashes have erupted around the country, as Copts accused the government of failing to protect them after a group claiming to be affiliated with Al Qaeda renewed threats against churches in Egypt recently.

“We cannot prevent people from expressing their sorrow, yet I ask them to express their feelings without violence,” said Egypt’s Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, in an interview late Monday night with Egyptian state TV.

Copts are preparing to celebrate their Christmas Jan 7, with thousands of Muslims planning to stand outside churches to offer protection and support.