Hours after a bomb explosion hit a Palm Sunday service in the Nile Delta of Egypt, killing about 25 people, a second blast occurred outside a church in the Northern Egypt.

The latest explosion outside St. Mark’s Coptic Church in Alexandria killed at least two people, according to state TV.

As gathered from Reuters, the bombing in Tanta, a Nile Delta city less than 100 kilometres outside Cairo, comes as Islamic State’s branch in Egypt appears to be stepping up attacks on Christians and threatening them in messages blasted out to followers.

According to the BBC, Pope Tawdros is unhurt and his secretary said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who struck outside the church.

After the first explosion in Tanta, Provincial Governor, Ahmad Deif, told the state-run Nile News channel: “Either a bomb was planted or someone blew himself up.”

General Tarek Atiya, a spokesperson at Egypt’s Interior Ministry, told AFP news agency that the blast in Tanta took place near the altar. However, a search is under way for any more explosives which could be in the vicinity.