2018 Minya bus attack

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2018 Minya bus attack
Part of the Insurgency in Egypt (2013–present)
2018 Minya bus attack is located in Egypt
Attack location
Attack location
2018 Minya bus attack (Egypt)
LocationMinya, Egypt
DateNovember 2, 2018; 3 years ago (2018-11-02)
TargetCoptic Christians
Deaths7
Injured12[1]
Assailants19 militants (all killed two days later by police)[2]

On November 2, 2018, masked gunmen opened fire on a group of Egyptian Christians traveling by bus through Minya. There was a convoy of three vehicles and two of them managed to escape. The vehicles were carrying Copts traveling from Sohag Governorate and Minya Governorate in Egypt to the Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor.[3][4] At least 7 people from Minya were killed while 12[1][5] others were injured.[6] A similar attack near the same place had happened in 2017.[7]

Background[]

Main article: Persecution of Copts

Copts have faced growing persecution and sectarian violence in Egypt since the early 2010s, including several in the last two years, all claimed by the Islamic State.

A similar attack happened on 26 May 2017, when masked gunman opened fire on a convoy carrying Copts in the same route of this attack, killing 29 people and wounding 22 others.[8]

On 29 December 2017, a gunman killed at least 11 people in attacks on a Coptic Orthodox church and a Christian-owned shop near Cairo before he was wounded and arrested.[9]

On 9 April 2017, Palm Sunday, terrorists bombed two Coptic churches — St. George's Church in the northern Egyptian city of Tanta on the Nile delta, and Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, the principal church in Alexandria — killing 47 people and injuring at least 126 others.[10]

On 11 December 2016, a suicide bomber killed 29 people and injured 47 others at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (commonly known as El-Botroseya Church[11])

Attack[]

Response and reactions[]

Two days later, 19 militants involved in the attack were killed in a shoot-out with the police.[2]

Pope Francis prayed for the victims in his Sunday Angelus Address, subsequent to the killings.[12]

See also[]

  • 2011 Alexandria bombing
  • 2011 Imbaba church attacks
  • Botroseya Church bombing
  • Christianity in Egypt
  • Coptic Orthodox Church
  • Kosheh massacres
  • Nag Hammadi massacre
  • 2017 Minya attack
  • Persecution of Copts

References[]

  1. ^ a b "At least 7 killed, 12 injured in terrorist attack on bus carrying Copts in Upper Egypt's Minya - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online". english.ahram.org.eg.
  2. ^ a b "Coptic Christian attack: Egypt police 'kill 19 attackers'". BBC News. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  3. ^ "الأقباط متحدون -راهب بدير الانبا صموئيل المعترف يروي تفاصيل الحادث". Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Egypt: Deadly attack on Coptic Christians". BBC News. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018 – via www.bbc.com.
  5. ^ "Egyptian prosecutors sent to site of terrorist attack on Copts in Minya to investigate - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online". english.ahram.org.eg.
  6. ^ "Coptic Christian attack: Funerals in Egypt for seven murdered pilgrims".
  7. ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan; Mahfouz, Heba Farouk (2 November 2018). "Gunmen in Egypt attack bus carrying Christians, killing at least 8 and wounding 13". Washington Post.
  8. ^ "ISIS claims responsibility for killing 29 Coptic Christians in Egypt". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  9. ^ Editorial, Reuters. "Gunman kills 11 in attacks on Coptic church, Christian-owned shop..."
  10. ^ Joe Sterling; Sarah Sirgany; Ian Lee (10 April 2017). "Egypt Cabinet OKs state of emergency after Palm Sunday church bombings". CNN. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  11. ^ Chappell, Bill (11 December 2016). "Bomb Hits Coptic Christian Church In Cairo, Killing At Least 25". NPR.
  12. ^ Grogan, Courtney (4 November 2018). "Pope Francis mourns victims of attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt". Crux Taking the Catholic Pulse. Colorado: Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 4 November 2018.

Coordinates: 28°44′22″N 30°37′14″E / 28.7395°N 30.6205°E / 28.7395; 30.6205

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