CAIRO, Dec 24 (Aswat Masriya) -  The Ministry of Health said on Saturday that a 63-year old woman by the name Isis Fares died on Saturday after sustaining injuries caused by a bomb explosion at St. Peter and St Paul church earlier in December.

According to the ministry's statement, Fares's death brings the total number of those killed in the explosion to 27, excluding the attacker.

The blast, which coincided with the Muslim celebration of the Prophet’s Birthday on Dec. 11, took place at the church adjacent to one of Egypt’s most symbolic sites for Copts, St. Mark’s Coptic Cathedral.

Dozens of worshippers were injured in the explosion, many of whom are women and children attending the Sunday mass.

One day after the explosion, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi identified the suicide bomber as 22-year old Mahmoud Shafiq Mohamed Mostafa.

The interior ministry announced later that people in connection with the Muslim Brotherhood group in Qatar schemed the attack on the church. The ministry said then that it arrested four people including a woman, all of whom assisted the suicide bomber.

The Islamic State claimed the attack in a statement on Dec 13 and vowed "to continue war against apostates." 

The State Security prosecution ordered on Dec 14 the detention of the defendants 15 days pending investigation in the case.