Two police officers standing guard at a Coptic Christian church just south of Cairo were gunned down early Tuesday morning, just as those of the faith were preparing to celebrate their Orthodox Christmas Eve.
The attack went forth in Minya, a provincial capital located 135 mils from Cairo where the majority of Egypt’s Coptic Christians live, The Associated Press reported.
Police blocked off the area and scoured for the gunmen, who fled the scene shortly after opening fire.
Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s 90 million residents and have complained about discrimination from the majority Muslim population for some time. Nobody has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, AP said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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