Scores of Christians on Thursday attended Coptic Christmas mass at Alexandria's Church of St. Mark and St. Peter, which was bombed by unknown assailants on New Year’s Eve killing 23 worshipers and injuring scores.
Churchgoers attended the ceremony despite earlier threats–allegedly made by an al-Qaeda offshoot–to target churches in Egypt.
Congregants, clad mostly in black, began arriving at the church at 7:00 AM.
According to witnesses, security agencies banned Muslims from attending the mass in solidarity with their Christian compatriots. Journalists were similarly banned from covering the ceremony, witnesses said.
Some Coptic Christians staged a vigil in front of the church, carrying banners reading "No to terrorism” and "Long live the crescent and cross."
