CAIRO — Egypt’s Interior Ministry said a policeman was killed as he was trying to defuse an explosive device near a church in a residential Cairo district. The ministry said the blast late on Saturday also wounded the commander of the bomb squad and another policeman. The blast came just two days before the Orthodox Coptic Church, the dominant denomination among Egypt’s estimated 10 million Christians, celebrates Christmas. Saturday’s incident likely will force authorities to further tighten security around churches ahead of the Coptic Orthodox Christmas. Already, armed policemen guard churches, and security guards check the identity of visitors.

Source: National Post January 06, 2019 05:47 UTC