Car blast outside Egyptian church kills 21

Cairo, Jan 1 (ANI): A car explosion outside an Alexandria church has killed at least 21 worshipers.

The Egypt's Interior Ministry said that several people had also been wounded in the incident. Christians even taken to the streets to protest against the incident.

The Ministry also said that the blast damaged a mosque near the church, adding that eight Muslims were among the wounded.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that a car was the reason behind the explosion. It was parked in front of the church and had been assumed to belong to one of the people who often come to the church," the Star quoted the ministry statement, as saying.

According to witnesses, some Christians and Muslims pelted each other with rocks and even torched cars.

Christians make up about 10 percent of Muslim-majority Egypt's 79 million people.

Egypt, which is due to hold a presidential election in September, has also stepped up security around churches, restricting cars from parking directly outside them, after an al Qaeda-linked group in Iraq issued a threat against the church in Egypt in November. (ANI)