Over the weekend as Coptic Christians celebrated Palm Sunday in Egypt, ISIS sent two suicide bombers to destroy their church services. Forty-seven died and 100 were wounded in two separate attacks in Tanta and Alexandria. Three police officers are among the dead who prevented a jihadist from entering St. Mark’s Cathedral. 

Images from surveillance cameras show the devastating blasts. In one, a man tries to enter St. Mark’s in Alexandria but is turned away by an officer who directed him through a metal detector. But before going through, he detonates his suicide vest.

The Daily Mail, which published graphic images of the aftermath and videos of the blasts, has the details:

The atrocity, which followed another attack in Tanta, was thought to have been aimed at Pope Tawadros II, leader of the ancient Coptic church, who was worshipping in St Mark's at the time but escaped unharmed.

The dead officers were named as Ahmed Ibrahim, Brigadier General Nagwa El-Haggar and Emad El-Rakiby. 

The blasts, claimed by Islamic State, came at the start of Holy Week leading up to Easter, and just weeks before Pope Francis is due to visit the Arab world's most populous country. 

Egyptian President El-Sissi has now declared a state of emergency for three months.

The other bombing happened a few hours before inside St. George’s Church in Tanta and was reportedly near the altar. The priest leading the service was injured and almost 30 worshippers died.

President Trump met with the Egyptian president earlier this month at the White House and tweeted his response: