By Serdar Bitmez, Ali Semerci and Zeynep Tufekci
CAIRO (AA): At least 22 countries and organizations have condemned a deadly terrorist attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt. At least seven Coptic Christians were killed and 13 others injured in Egypt’s central Minya province Friday by unknown assailants who opened fired on their bus, which was reportedly on its way to Minya’s Saint Samuel Monastery.
Countries that have condemned the killings include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, the U.S. and UK as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, Arab Parliament, Egypt’s Al-Azhar Institution, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Egypt’s Anglican and Catholic churches.
The Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for the deadly assault.
Commenting on the incident in a Facebook statement, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed to continue “fighting terrorism”.
He went on to express his sadness for the loss of life, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
“I reaffirm our determination to continue fighting terrorism and find the perpetrators,” al-Sisi said.
Friday’s attack was the second of its kind in the same area within the last year and a half.
[Photo: There are many Coptic churches in Egypt. For example this Coptic Christian Church in St Bishoy Monastery between Cairo and Alexandria. Photo by Lollylolly7/ Commonswikimedia/ GNU Free Documentation License]