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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 have been killed after two gunmen opened fire outside a Coptic Christian church outside Cairo, Egypt's health ministry has said. | At least 10 people 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. | 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 rode past the church on a motorbike where they opened fire before one was shot dead. The other fled the scene. | The gunmen rode past the church on a motorbike where they opened fire before one was shot dead. The other fled the scene. |
| A security guard at the church is among the casualties. Earlier security officials had reported that two police officers had been killed. | A security guard at the church is among the casualties. Earlier security officials had reported that two police officers had been killed. |
| A spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church said at least six people were killed in the attack, including five Copts and a policeman. | A spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church said at least six people were killed in the attack, including five Copts and a policeman. |
| It also said there was a separate attack on a shop in the same neighbourhood of Helwan that killed two Copts. | It also said there was a separate attack on a shop in the same neighbourhood of Helwan that killed two Copts. |
| Samir Gerges, a witness, said people inside the church closed the gates when the shootout began but bullets from the gunfire still entered the building. | |
| Mr Gerges said he was walking in a nearby street when the shooting happened. He saw people running and some of them went to hide from the gunfire inside a nearby restaurant. | |
| Raouth Atta, 40, was attending prayers inside the church when the shooting took place. | |
| "Once the gunfire was heard, the gates were closed immediately," she said. "People were terrified and wanted to check on their families in other buildings of the church. We stayed inside for 30 minutes before we were able to get out." | |
| Ms Atta said that once she was let outside the building she saw blood scattered everywhere. | |
| 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. |
| Just last week, hundreds of Muslim demonstrators stormed an unlicensed church south of Cairo wounding three people. The demonstrators shouted anti-Christian slogans and called for the church's demolition, the diocese in the area said at the time. The demonstrators destroyed the church's contents and assaulted Christians inside before security personnel arrived and dispersed them. | |
| Meanwhile 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. | |
| 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. |
| Additional reporting by agencies | Additional reporting by agencies |