Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday have killed at least 40 people, officials say.
In Alexandria, an explosion outside St Mark’s Coptic church killed 13 people. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, had been attending Mass inside and was unhurt, state media reported.
An earlier blast at St George’s Coptic church in Tanta killed 27 people.
So-called Islamic State (IS) says it is behind the explosions. The group has recently targeted Copts in Egypt.
Four police officers, including one policewoman, were among those killed in Alexandria, the interior ministry said. The suicide bomber blew himself up after they stopped him from entering the church.
The first explosion in Tanta, 94km (58 miles) north of Cairo, took place near the altar.
Security forces later dismantled two explosive devices at the Sidi Abdel Rahim Mosque, also in Tanta, the state-run Al-Ahram news website reports.
The explosions injured at least 78 people in Tanta and 35 others in Alexandria, the health ministry said.
The blasts appear to have been timed for maximum impact, as people gathered to mark Palm Sunday. It is one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
Egyptian security forces had been put on alert in anticipation of attacks.
Pope Francis, who is due to visit Egypt later this month, has condemned the explosions.
“I pray for the dead and the injured, and I am close in spirit to the family members [of the victims] and to the entire community,” he said.
Pope Tawadros II told local TV that “sinful acts will not undermine the unity and coherence of the Egyptian people in the face of terrorism”.
In the UK, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Bishop Angaelos, condemned the “senseless and heartless brutality” of the attacks.
Violence against the religious minority has risen in recent years, especially since 2013, when the military overthrew the elected president and launched a crackdown against Islamists.
Some supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow.
In February, IS warned of more attacks against Copts, who make up about 10% of Egypt’s population.