Now Reading
Gunmen Kill at Least 28 Coptic Christians in Egypt

Gunmen Kill at Least 28 Coptic Christians in Egypt

More than 20 are dead—many of them reportedly children—in a Friday attack in Egypt on two buses and a truck that were transporting Coptic Christians to a monastery.

The attackers reportedly rode up in pickup trucks and opened fire on the buses in Egypt’s Minya province, about 220 kilometers from Cairo.

Minya governor Essam el-Bedawi told the state media that the gunmen used automatic weapons. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, though an analyst told Al Jazeera that ISIS was likely to blame, as ISIS announced in February that they were declaring war on Egypt’s Coptic population.

“It is very possible that this is part of that campaign,” Timothy Kaldas of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy said.

Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population, and have been a frequent target for armed groups. More than 45 were killed on Palm Sunday last April in twin bombings that rocked Alexandria and Tanta churches.

View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

© 2023 RELEVANT Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Scroll To Top

You’re reading our ad-supported experience

For our premium ad-free experience, including exclusive podcasts, issues and more, subscribe to

Plans start as low as $2.50/mo