{"id":387305,"date":"2017-12-29T18:27:34","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T18:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=387305"},"modified":"2017-12-29T18:27:34","modified_gmt":"2017-12-29T18:27:34","slug":"gunman-attacks-cairo-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/12\/gunman-attacks-cairo-christians\/","title":{"rendered":"Gunman attacks Cairo Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nine people have been killed in two attacks on Coptic Christians in Helwan district, south of Cairo, Egypt’s interior ministry has said.<\/p>\n
Six civilians and a policeman died when a gunman tried to storm a church but was intercepted and arrested, it said.<\/p>\n
It said the man had previously attacked a Coptic-owned shop in the same area, killing two brothers.<\/p>\n
The interior ministry revised an earlier account given by the health ministry.<\/p>\n
The initial report said 12 were dead, and suggested there were two attackers. It said one had been killed, and the other fled but was later captured.<\/p>\n
More than 100 Christians have been killed in Egypt in the past year, with most attacks claimed by the local branch of the so-called Islamic State group.<\/p>\n
Security forces have reinforced checkpoints in place around the capital in response to the attacks.<\/p>\n
They announced plans earlier this week to protect festivities around the New Year and, on 7 January, Coptic Christmas. They include the deployment of rapid-reaction forces, combat troops and jamming equipment.<\/p>\n
Conflicting accounts<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the interior ministry statement, the first attack on Friday took place at a household appliances shop. Then the attacker headed to the Saint Mina Coptic church, where he attempted “to trespass the church’s perimeter security”.<\/p>\n “The security forces have dealt with the attacker and managed to arrest him after he was injured,” the ministry said.<\/p>\n