Churches bombed in Egypt

We denounce in the strongest possible terms the twin blasts that killed 44 people in two Coptic churches in Egypt. The death toll might climb as new casualties are coming up from among those severely wounded in the explosions. This is not the first time that Egypt has been the target of a militant attack: 27 people were killed only last December in an explosion near Saint Mark's Cathedral complex, which is at the heart of the Egyptian capital and the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope.   

It is evident that the Egyptian authorities, especially their intelligence apparatus, have had little clue as to the planning and execution of such macabre act of terror, which is claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS). Given the number of terrorist attacks the country has witnessed in the last couple of years, this failure is no less than shocking. The apparently lax security arrangements in the churches at the Palm Sunday, one of the sacred days in Coptic calendar, is equally disquieting.

Since the fall of Hosni Mubarak's dictatorial regime six years ago in a mass upheaval, the country has gone through political instability in some form or the other. The war in Syria and the turmoil in the Middle East have had its spill-over effect on Egypt.

With their safe havens in Iraq and Syria threatened, the terrorists are now trying to gain a foothold in Egypt and other countries where governance is weak and the people in power suffer a legitimacy crisis. It is now apparent that the IS would like to build a strong hideout elsewhere. In this view, we need to gear up our intelligence and reinforce the border so as to make sure the terrorists cannot filter into our territories.