Dozens of people were injured by the explosion scattered body parts, destroyed cars and broken windows. The attack has caused Christians to protest in the streets, and some Christians and Muslims threw stones at each other.
Egypt has tightened security around churches, car parking ban out of them as a group linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq issued a threat against the Church in Egypt in November.
The leaders of Egypt, were quick to call for unity, wary of any increase in sectarian conflicts or other tensions as the country approaches a presidential election in September amid some uncertainty over whether President Hosni Mubarak of 82, will be executed.
Statement on an Islamist website posted about two weeks before the explosion, called for attacks on churches in Egypt are listed among the affected one. No group called the declaration.
Benedict XVI, head of the Roman Catholic Church, condemned the violence against Christians in his new year address speech and appealed to religious freedom and tolerance. He said he would host a summit of world religious leaders at Assisi in October to discuss ways to promote peace.
Germany and Iraq, condemned the attack.
Saturday's explosion did not originate in one of the cars that were destroyed, an Interior Ministry statement on the official news agency said. "It is likely that the device that exploded was carried out by a suicide bomber, who died among others," he said.
The circumstances of this attack, compared to other events abroad, "clearly shows that foreign authors undertook the design and implementation," the statement added.
Mubarak promised in a televised speech that the terrorists would not destabilize Egypt or the Christians and Muslims parts. He said the attack "bears evidence of the involvement of foreign hands" and promised to prosecute.
The Health Minister Hatem el-Gabaly told Reuters there were 17 confirmed dead, including 12 identified as Christians. Five bodies had not yet been identified. He said that initial assessments indicate that 70 people were injured.
State media earlier reported 21 were killed in the blast that struck while the faithful left the church, marking the new year. The Ministry had initially blamed the car bomb explosion.
Christians represent about 10 percent of the Muslim majority in Egypt 79 million people. Tensions often thrust between the two communities on issues such as building churches or close relationships between members of both religions.
But analysts said the attack was a much larger scale, and appeared much better organized than the violence, which usually occurs when a common frustration boiled over.
"This tragic incident is certainly not resemble other sectarian attacks, which my organization has documented in recent years," said rights activist Hossam Bahgat.
His group, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said the number of incidents of sectarian violence has increased.
After protests during the night, over 100 Christians have protested Saturday near Coptic Orthodox Church was beaten. "We sacrifice our souls and blood of the cross," they chanted.
A statement posted on an Islamist website called on Muslims to bomb churches during the Christmas holidays, when the churches are full. "It was unclear who was behind the claim that the churches listed in Egypt and elsewhere, not including the Church of Alexandria of the two saints that were the subject.
Coptic Orthodox Christmas is January 7.
Alexandria Governor Adel Labib "accused of planning attacks in al-Qaeda," state television reported in a short title, without giving further details.
Camel Sadeeq board Coptic Alexandria, told Reuters: "People went to church to pray, but ended up scattered limbs The massacre of Al-Qaeda in writing on the same model Qaeda has adopted to other countries .. "
In January, a protest shooting of six Christians and Muslims to a police officer in a church in southern Egypt has sparked.
In November, hundreds of Christians have clashed with riot police and some Muslims who came together in Cairo to protest against the decision to suspend construction of the church.
Officials said that Christians were not allowed to build. Two Christians were killed and dozens wounded, medical sources said. Over 150 were arrested.
Analysts say the state should respond to complaints such as those relating to laws making it easier to build a mosque, a church, if you want to curb sectarian violence.
Officials are quick to minimize sectarian differences and were quick to emphasize national harmony, after a November election that opposition groups had been rigged, and before the presidential election in September.
Mubarak, 82 and in power since 1981, is expected to run if he can. gallbladder surgery in March to life's questions on his health, but he is back on the times.
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