Gunmen attack church near Cairo, killing
nine: ministry
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[December 29, 2017]
CAIRO (Reuters) - Gunmen killed at
least nine people including three police in an attack on a Coptic
Christian church south of Cairo on Friday, medical and security sources
said.
The two attackers opened fire at the entrance to the church of Mar Mina
in Helwan district, which was being guarded by police in the run-up to
Orthodox Christmas celebrations next week, security sources said.
One attacker was shot dead by security forces, the sources and the
state-run news agency MENA reported. State television said the second
had been captured.
Islamist militants have claimed several attacks on Egypt's large
Christian minority in recent years, including two bomb attacks on Palm
Sunday in April and a blast at Cairo's largest Coptic cathedral last
December that killed 28 people.
The Health Ministry said that nine people had been killed on Friday in
addition to the gunman, and five wounded, including two women in serious
condition.
Local media said the dead attacker had been wearing an explosive belt,
and that two other bombs had been defused near the church.
Sirens were heard in central Cairo immediately after the incident.
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![](../images/122917pics/news_r35.jpg)
People are seen outside the Mar Mina Church after a blast, in Helwan
district on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt December 29, 2017.
REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Police have stepped up security measures around churches ahead of
the Coptic Christmas celebrations on Jan. 7, deploying officers
outside Christian places of worship and setting up metal detectors
at some of the bigger churches.
(Reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Amr Abdallah; Writing by John
Davison; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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