A bus carrying Coptic Christians to a monastery south of Cairo was targeted in a bloody attack Friday, killing more than 23 people, officials said.
Egyptian state television reported that 23 were killed and 25 wounded in the attack in Minya, a Christian enclave 138 miles south of the capital.
Human rights groups were reporting an even higher death toll.
“Militants attacked a bus and a car — they shot them, 28 persons were killed at least,” said Ishak Ibrahim, a researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a Cairo-based think tank. He added that the victims included women and children.
“They are still counting the number of victims. The militants targeted Coptic Christians who were driving to a monastery. Some went to work, some went to visit.”
Christians make up about a tenth of Egypt’s population of 92 million. As Islamic State’s influence has expanded in Egypt, Minya — home to the country’s largest Coptic Christian community — has been a flashpoint in recent months for attacks by Muslim extremists against Coptic Christians.
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-egypt-christians-20170526-story.html