Aoun Offers Condolences to Sisi, Tawadros over Church Blast Victims

President Michel Aoun held phone talks Sunday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to offer him condolences over the victims of a bomb attack that killed at least 25 people inside a Cairo church in the deadliest attack in recent memory on Egypt's Christian minority.

“This horrific crime that has shaken the conscience of humanity proves that terrorism is not deterred by any moral or religious considerations and that it is the peak of criminality,” Aoun told Sisi.

He also expressed the solidarity of the Lebanese president and people with “the brotherly Egyptian people,” state-run National News Agency said.

Aoun also called the spiritual leader of the Coptic Orthodox community in Lebanon Father Orshalimi Roweis to offer condolences to Coptic Pope Tawadros II.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing but Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population, have been previously targeted in jihadist attacks.

At least 31 people were also wounded in the blast, the health ministry said, as the attack drew condemnation from political and religious leaders and led President Sisi to declare three days of national mourning.