Egyptian gunmen kill three outside church in Cairo

Originally published on October 21, 2013

Three people, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed when gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a wedding party outside a Coptic Christian church in Cairo on Sunday. At least 12 other people were injured according to an official from the Egyptian Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if any of the dead were Christians.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The one of the masked attackers fired randomly as people left the church in north Cairo's Al-Warak neighborhood. The Interior Ministry said an eight-year-old girl, a woman and man were killed and nine other were injured in the shooting.

A Coptic priest told Reuters that he was inside the church when the gunfire started. Priest Thomas Daoud Ibrahim said that he rushed outside and found a dead man, a dead woman and many injured.

An official from the Egyptian Health Ministry confirmed the three deaths but said 12 people were injured.

Ahmed al-Ansari said that four of the 12 were were in critical condition and that the number of injured could rise.

Coptic Christians made up 10 percent of Egypt's 85 million people, and have for the most part coexisted peacefully with majority Sunni Muslims, despite bouts of sectarian tension, according to Reuters.

However, the army's ousting of elected President Morsi on July 3 has been followed by the worst attacks on churches and Christian properties in years. Pope Tawadros has received several death threats, while several Christians have been killed. Shops, homes and businesses owned by Christians have also been targeted recently.

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