At least 23 Coptic Christians have been killed in Egypt and at least 25 injured after gunmen attacked a bus on a trip to a monastery in the Minya province, Egypt state media has reported.
The bus came under attack on Friday while it was transporting the Christians to pray at the Monastery of St Samuel the Confessor, in the Minya province, which is about 140 miles south of the Cairo, officials told reporters on an official State TV channel.
Bishop Makarios of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Minya Province told the New York Times that the gunmen were travelling in three SUVs when they approached the convoy of pilgrims and workers from the monastery and opened fire.
Makarios told reporters that many of the dead had been shot at close range. The victims of the attack included children, elderly people and workmen, Makarios added.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet but Islamic State has a recent history of targeting
The attack comes just over six weeks after 45 people were killed by suicide bombs at two Coptic churches on Palm Sunday (9 April).
The two attacks - one at St George’s church in the city of Tanta and the second at St Mark’s cathedral, in Alexandria - constituted one of the bloodiest days of violence against Christians in Egypt in decades.
Their bus was in a small convoy that was stopped on a desert road near Adwa police station by between eight and 10 gunmen wearing military uniforms, officials cited witnesses as saying. The gunmen then fired at the bus with automatic weapons before escaping, they added.
PICTURE: State television announced the news of the deadly attack in Egypt's southern province of Minya
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