Egypt church attack: Protesters clash with police; state funeral for victims today

After a bomb explosion killed 25 people and wounded 49 others on Sunday in Cairo's largest Coptic church, hundreds of protesters clashed with police outside demanding revenge for the attack during mass.

The explosion device contained 12 kg of TNT and took place on a Muslim holiday for Prophet Mohammad's birthday. The church had previously been attacked by a Muslim mob in 2013. Christians in Egypt make up 10 percent of the population and have been feeling increasingly insecure after the spread of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in the MiddleEast.  

Protesters got into a scuffle with the police after they arrived. They demanded that they be allowed to enter the church to pray for the dead. 

"As soon as the priest called us to prepare for prayer, the explosion happened," Emad Shoukry, who was inside when the blast took place, told Reuters. "The explosion shook the place ... the dust covered the hall and I was looking for the door, although I couldn't see anything ... I managed to leave in the middle of screams and there were a lot of people thrown on the ground."

The blast ripped through the section meant for women inside St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, the seat of Egypt's Orthodox Christian Church. Most of the victims were women. 

No militant group claimed responsibility for the attack and the Brotherhood officials and home-grown militant groups condemned the attack. However, the Islamic State group rejoiced after the attack. 

"God bless the person who did this blessed act," wrote one supporter on Telegram. 

Pope Francis, calling the Cairo attack the latest in a series of "brutal terrorist attacks," said he was praying for the dead and wounded.

Egypt is facing ISIS insurgency in Northern Sinai. The group has previously carried out deadly attacks in Cairo, but the Sunday attack was the deadliest on the Christian minority in the country. 

Videos of the attack show dust flying inside the church with broken pews and bloodied floors. 

Egypt's top Islamic authority Al Azhar condemned the attack as well. 

"U.S condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack on Christian worshippers outside St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo," tweeted John Kirby, spokesperson for the United States Department of State, on Sunday. You can read the full statement here.

Three days of mourning was declared in Egypt after the attack. Egypt President Sisi said that there will be justice and the terrorists attacked whole of Egypt. 

An official funeral will be held in Cairo on Monday. The president will also attend the funeral. All celebrations marking the prophet's birthday have been cancelled in the country.