News Analysis: Egypt's church blast marks qualitative change in terror tactics: experts

The recent church bomb attack in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo marks a qualitative change of terrorist tactics from targeting security personnel to a civilian minority, taking Egypt's anti-terror war to another level, said Egyptian security experts.

On Sunday morning, a suicide bomb attack at Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church adjacent to Saint Mark's Cathedral in Cairo's Abassiya neighborhood killed at least 25 Coptic Christian worshipers.

The attack was the first to target the Coptic minority in Egypt after several churches nationwide had been stormed by angry supporters of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi following his military removal in July 2013 and the later deadly security crackdown on his loyalists.

Khaled Okasha, director of the National Center for Security Studies, said that the attack is a kind of terrorist escalation and a desire to get the biggest amount of media coverage by moving the attacks to the capital city once again through large operations.

"The terrorist groups escalate and change tactics, which does not indicate their decline. So, we fairly say that we're still in the middle of the battle and there are a lot of chapters of the fight that will need a lot of security efforts," Okasha told Xinhua, stressing the confrontation has taken another level of fierceness and tactical change.

Most security experts view that the terror groups would like to give the impression of their ability to access new and strong targets such as the symbol of the Orthodox Church in Egypt.

"The qualitative change in terrorist tactics will surely be met by change in security strategies, and this is the focus of the recent meetings of all security apparatuses in the country," the senior security expert pointed out.

Over the past 48 hours, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held several meetings with the country's top security officials to discuss the situation following the church blast.

"It's quite clear that the anti-terror security confrontation plans are currently being reviewed, reconsidered and reassessed. New security mechanisms are expected to be in effect soon amid such a state of terrorist escalation," Okasha emphasized.

While an official funeral attended by President Sisi was held for the Coptic victims on Monday, a blast later killed two military conscripts and injured three others in Sheikh Zuweid city of restive North Sinai province. Earlier on Friday, a bomb attack killed six policemen in Giza province near the capital Cairo.

The Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group claimed responsibility for Sunday's church bombing, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt, and vowing to continue its jihad against "infidels and apostates."

In February 2015, the IS released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts in neighboring turmoil-stricken Libya.

Although online statements of Morsi's now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group and recently-emerging militant groups like Hasm Movement condemned the church attack, fingers in Egypt point to the Brotherhood as the perpetrators.

"Regardless of the IS announcement, the attacks in Cairo are mostly carried out by the military wing of the Brotherhood," said Salah Samak, security and bomb disposal expert and a retired police general.

Samak argued that terrorists started to target churches as they are aware it would stir up international anger and accusation of the Egyptian regime of insufficient security. "They want to embarrass the Egyptian administration."

"Terrorists care about the choice of timing and place to get world attention. For instance, a bomb in Tahrir Square that injures none draws more attention than a bomb in a remote province that kills ten," the retired general told Xinhua.

Many security experts explained that it is difficult to secure a city 100 percent, citing several recent terror attacks in modern Western cities and arguing that security authorities cannot check each passing car and search every walking person.

"There are media attractive spots where security should be greatly upgraded and intensified, including churches," Samak told Xinhua, hoping the media would be objective and unbiased "as Egypt's security reputation is the basis for the return of foreign investments and tourism." Endit