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Relatives and friends carry Maria Kamal's coffin after the funeral at the Grand Prince Martyr Tadros Church, Minya, Egypt, on Saturday, November 3, 2018. Coptic Christians from the Egyptian city of Minya were preparing for bury their dead. one day after militants ambushed three buses carrying Christian pilgrims to a remote desert monastery, they killed several people and injured others. lessRelatives and friends carry the casket of Maria Kamal after the funeral at the church of Grand Prince Martyr Tadros, Minya, Egypt, Saturday, November 3, 2018. Coptic Christians from the city … more
Photo: Amr Nabil, AP
Photo: Amr Nabil, AP
CAIRO (AP) – Egypt says security forces killed 19 militants during a shootout, including gunmen suspected of killing seven Christians during an attack against pilgrims going to a distant monastery.
The Interior Ministry said Sunday that militants had been located in a desert hiding in the west of the central province of Minya, where Friday's attack had occurred.
The ministry has published photographs supposed to show the bodies of the killed militants. The men opened fire when security forces surrounded them.
Friday's attack was the second in three years to target pilgrims on their way to the monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor. An attack in May 2017 killed 29 people.
Christians represent about 10% of the 100 million Egyptians and have long complained of discrimination.
