Blast near cairo cathedral kills at least 25

An explosion near a key Coptic cathedral in the Egyptian capital has left at least 25 people dead and 31 others injured, local media reported.

The blast occurred in Cairo's Abbassyia district early Sunday morning, according to the government-sponsored Al-Ahram news outlet, citing the health ministry.

"Security forces are searching and screening the area," Al-Ahram's website reported.

The explosion took place in the small church of St. Peter and St. Paul attached to the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, said the Coptic Church's official spokesperson, Rev. Paul Halim, according to Al-Ahram.

The attack targeted one of the most symbolic religious sites for Copts, an ethno-religious group centered in Egypt. The Coptic Orthodox Church released a statement on its Facebook page, saying in part:

"As we are bereaved by this violence and terrorism that attacks worshipers, we pray for these martyrs and for the wounded. The Egyptian church stresses on persevering national unity that keeps all Egyptians on Egypt's blessed land."