A bomb in a Coptic Christian cathedral in Cairo on 11 December has killed at least 25 people, according to officials from Egypt’s state security forces.

Dozens more were injured in the attack that targeted the St Mark’s cathedral in the Abassiya area of Cairo.

This followed two days after an attack on 9 December, when a roadside bomb killed six police officers at a police checkpoint in the Pyramids area of Cairo.

The two attacks are the biggest incidents to take place in civilian areas so far this year.

It remains unclear who has carried out the attack on the cathedral. The local Islamist group The Hasm Movement has already taken responsibility for the Pyramid attack that killed six police officers.

The last major incident to take place in Cairo was when eight plain-clothed policemen were attacked in the Helwan district on 8 May

Egypt’s security forces have been targeted by Islamist groups since the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, and have been involved in heavy fighting mostly in the Sinai region.

The latest attacks will do little for Egypt’s economy as it continues to struggle following years of limited revenues from tourism and foreign direct investments amid economic headwinds rooted in the country’s security status.