Attack On Coptic Christians Kills At Least 23 In Egypt

Gunmen fired on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in Minya, where many Christians live in Egypt. Here, a photo from 2015 shows Coptic Christians walking outside St. Markos Church in Minya. Roger Anis/AP hide caption

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Roger Anis/AP

Gunmen fired on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in Minya, where many Christians live in Egypt. Here, a photo from 2015 shows Coptic Christians walking outside St. Markos Church in Minya.

Roger Anis/AP

Gunmen attacked a bus that was taking Egyptian Christians to a monastery Friday, killing at least 23 people and wounding 25 more, according to local officials and NPR’s Jane Arraf.

The death toll was announced by a spokesman for Egypt’s health ministry.

The attack occurred in Minya, a city some 160 miles south of Cairo along the Nile River.

“Minya has the highest percentage of Christians in Egypt and is the site of regular attacks,” Jane reports.

Coptic Christians were targeted by two deadly attacks in northern Egypt last month, in suicide bombings that killed at least 44 people.