国际英语新闻：Egypt says Palestinian group behind church attack

In October, he sent information about the possibility of attacking three worshiping places in Egypt, including the Saints Church and sent many photos of the church to the group. The Army of Islam group had asked him to provide their members with a place for accommodation and hire a car to facilitate their mission, but Ahmad suggested to conduct the attack traditionally by committing suicide.

Addressing the Police Day, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he will not tolerate whoever tries to undermine the national unity and to drive a wedge between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Egypt.

Mubarak stressed he will "not be lenient with any sectarian strife from either side" and will firmly confront the perpetrators by the law.

The president vowed to confront, defeat terrorism and track down terrorists inside and outside the country.

The suicide bombing attack outside the al-Qiddissin (Saints) Church in Alexandria, which killed more than 21 and injured nearly one hundred, was the deadliest attack against Christians in Egypt in more than a decade, which triggered the fears of sectarian violence in the Muslim majority country.

The fatal church attack was followed by a train shooting on Jan. 11 by an Egyptian policeman, killing a Coptic Christian and injuring five others. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior reaffirmed on Saturday it was not a sectarian act.

The Army of Islam firstly appeared in 2006, when it joined Islamic Hamas movement in capturing an Israeli soldier near the Gaza Strip. A year later, Hamas took over Gaza by force and its ties with the Army of Islam sagged due to security, religious and ideological differences.

The group was behind the kidnapping of Alan Johnston, a BBC reporter in Gaza, in 2007.