A bomb explosion tore through a chapel near Cairo's Coptic Cathedral complex during a Sunday mass, killing at least 24 people and injuring 49 in the bloodiest attack in recent years on Egypt's Christian minority.

No group claimed responsibility on the second bombing to hit Cairo in recent days. Less than 48 hours prior to the church explosion, six police officers were killed and three were injured on a checkpoint leading to the Great Pyramids.

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The attack transpired inside St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral at the 100-year-old Bostrosiya Church, also known as the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, a few moment after approximately 200 worshipers stopped reading Bible verses as the priest was getting ready to start his sermon, witnesses said.

The chapel was packed on a national holiday marking the birth of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

"Everything turned black suddenly," Qelliny Farag said, an 80-year-old congregant who was seated on the left side of the church. "I could not see anything. We were all in shock, covered in dust, running through corpses that got thrown by the intensity of the blast."

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi announced that the incident was a suicide bombing by 22-year-old Mahmoud Shafiq Mohammed Mustafa, with the help of three men and a woman, who were all arrested due to association with the attack. The president spoke after Health Ministry officials increased the number of victims from 24 to 25, suggesting that one of the body belonged to the suspect.

The coffins, which were wrapped in Egyptian flags, have been laid in front of the altar on Monday, with the names of each victim displayed on the side. Only victims' relatives were allowed to attend the service at the Virgin Mary and St. Athanasius church in the eastern Cairo suburb of Nasr City.

Egypt has seen a surge of attacks by Islamic militants ever since the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, the Islamist president deposed by then-army chief Sisi. Many of his supporters mainly attacked security forces and Christians after his ejection.

TagsCairo, Egypt, Cathedral, Coptic Cathedral, bombing, suicide bombing, Explosion, Terrorist attack, Church