Militants rob bank, attack church; 7 dead

El-Arish: In a brazen attack, about a dozen Islamic militants robbed a local bank and traded fire with security forces guarding an unused church in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing seven people, including three civilians, officials said. The attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades and traded gunfire with the guards outside the Church of Saint George in the center of el-Arish, security and military officials said. Services at the church were suspended months ago, following a wave of attacks on Christians in Sinai. The militants then robbed a bank before fleeing in a pickup and a motorcycle to the southern outskirts of the city.