Egypt foils possible terrorist plot against Coptic Christians
Egyptian security forces kill seven suspected militants in a shootout in eastern Cairo in which a policeman died.
Egyptian security forces killed seven suspected militants in the capital, Cairo, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
A police officer died and three others were wounded following a shootout that erupted when Egyptian security forces raided a hideout in the Amiriyah district in eastern Cairo. After the hourslong standoff, officers found ammunition, weapons and explosives.
Authorities say the suspected terrorist cell was plotting attacks against the country’s Coptic Christians to coincide with their Easter celebration on April 19. The religious minority, which makes up about 10% of Egypt’s population of 100 million, is a frequent target of armed groups in the volatile Sinai Peninsula.
Under President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Egypt’s security forces have upped their campaign against the insurgency but have struggled to tamp down the sectarian attacks in the Sinai, which borders the Gaza Strip and Israel.
