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| Cairo shooting: Gunmen open fire at Coptic Church in Egypt's capital | Cairo shooting: Gunmen open fire at Coptic Church in Egypt's capital |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least 10 people, including two policemen, have been killed after two gunmen opened fire outside a Coptic Christian church outside Cairo, Egypt's health ministry has said. | |
| According to Egyptian media reports, one of the men was killed in fighting with police at St Mina's Church in Helwan – a city in Greater Cairo – while the other assailant fled the scene. It is currently unknown whether he is one of the 10 casualties. | |
| The gunmen opened fire outside the church, wounding five security guards, before trying to storm the building where police shot him dead, Agence France Presse reported. | The gunmen opened fire outside the church, wounding five security guards, before trying to storm the building where police shot him dead, Agence France Presse reported. |
| Cairo's security chief headed for the scene, local media reported. Sirens were heard in central Cairo as the incident was first reported. | Cairo's security chief headed for the scene, local media reported. Sirens were heard in central Cairo as the incident was first reported. |
| A video circulated on social media after the attack apparently shows the dead gunman on the ground. | A video circulated on social media after the attack apparently shows the dead gunman on the ground. |
| Authorities have closed off the area around the church. | Authorities have closed off the area around the church. |
| The Christian minority, which makes up 10 per cent of the Egyptian minority, has been regularly targeted by Islamist extremists such as Isis in recent years. | The Christian minority, which makes up 10 per cent of the Egyptian minority, has been regularly targeted by Islamist extremists such as Isis in recent years. |
| Earlier this year at least 43 people were killed in twin bombings in Coptic churches in the cities of Alexandria and Tanta while they gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday. | Earlier this year at least 43 people were killed in twin bombings in Coptic churches in the cities of Alexandria and Tanta while they gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday. |
| Meanwhile children were among the 28 people killed when gunmen opened fire on a bus travelling to a Coptic monastery in Minya province in May. | Meanwhile children were among the 28 people killed when gunmen opened fire on a bus travelling to a Coptic monastery in Minya province in May. |
| The Coptic sect, a branch of Orthodox Christianity, has lived in Egypt and other parts of north-east Africa such as Ethiopia for thousands of years but have recently been targeted by hardline Sunni Arabs Islamists, including Isis, who regard them as "infidels" helping the West wage war on Muslims. | The Coptic sect, a branch of Orthodox Christianity, has lived in Egypt and other parts of north-east Africa such as Ethiopia for thousands of years but have recently been targeted by hardline Sunni Arabs Islamists, including Isis, who regard them as "infidels" helping the West wage war on Muslims. |
| In response to the Minya bus attack, the Egyptian military launched an air strike against what it said were militant training facilities in Libya. | In response to the Minya bus attack, the Egyptian military launched an air strike against what it said were militant training facilities in Libya. |
| Muslim leaders including the Grand Mufti of Egypt and the grand imam of al-Azhar, Egypt’s 1,000-year-old centre of Islamic learning, condemned that attack as the act of “brutal terrorism” and called on Egyptians to unite. | Muslim leaders including the Grand Mufti of Egypt and the grand imam of al-Azhar, Egypt’s 1,000-year-old centre of Islamic learning, condemned that attack as the act of “brutal terrorism” and called on Egyptians to unite. |
| More follows… | More follows… |