The President of the United States said Sunday he was sad to hear about the terrorist attacks on two Coptic Christian churches in Egypt and hoped that the Egyptian President will respond in the right way. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed more than 40 people during Palm Sunday services.

"So sad to hear of the terrorist attacks in Egypt. U.S. strongly condemns. I have great confidence that President Al Sisi will handle situation properly," Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account.

Only a week ago, Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi met in the White House to discuss, among other things, the fight against Islamic State, which has now been blamed for the two attacks.

Palm Sunday in Egypt was blood-stained after the two attacks on Christian churches in Tanta Town, north of Cairo, and in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria by the hands of the Islamic State terrorist organization.

The attacks constituted one of the deadliest days of violence against Christians in Egypt in decades and presented a challenge to the authority of the country’s leader, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who promptly declared a three-month state of emergency.

The attacks came just weeks before a scheduled visit to the country by Pope Francis.

Mr. Sisi rushed to assure Christians, who have traditionally been among his most vocal supporters and now fear that he cannot protect them against extremists.

“I won’t say those who fell are Christian or Muslim,” Mr. Sisi said in a speech shown on state television on Sunday night. “I will say that they’re Egyptian.”