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CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Christian community is in shock after the suicide bombing during Sunday Mass at the chapel next to Cairo's Coptic cathedral.
At the part of the service when worshippers turn to each other, shake hands and offer forgiveness, the bomber stepped in, turning a moment of shared mercy into a scene of unspeakable carnage. At least 25 people, mainly women, were killed, and another 49 were wounded.
The pews were caked in blood and the floors glistened with shattered glass. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group late Tuesday.
Heirs to some of the world's first Christians, the Copts today make up around 10 percent of Egypt's population. They have long suffered from discrimination and have been targeted by Islamic extremists in the past.
But Sunday's attack was the worst in recent memory, and a sense of dread has descended on the community ahead of Christmas and New Year's. On Wednesday night, dozens of Egyptians took part in a candlelight vigil, holdings signs that said "honor your martyr."
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