What started as a Palm Sunday service at a couple of churches in Egypt has turned deadly.
The BBC reports that a bomb went off at two Coptic churches Sunday morning. The first explosion happened outside of St. Mark's Coptic Church in Alexandria, which was allegedly caused by a suicide bomber.
The second explosion happened inside a packed church in Tanta, near the altar.
The death toll has been growing throughout the day. CNN last reported that the explosions killed 43 people and wounded several others.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi declared a three-month state of emergency in the country Sunday in the wake of the attacks, numerous news organizations report.So-called Islamic State says it carried out the deadly attacks against two Coptic churches in #Egypt, killing 36https://t.co/o5BzYXd3ID
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) April 9, 2017