28 dead as gunmen attack bus carrying Coptic Christians

A team of gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians south of Cairo on Friday, killing at least 28, including children, and wounding 22 other people, Egyptian officials confirmed.

As many as 10 attackers in 3 SUVs stormed the bus dressed in military uniforms and wearing masks, according to witnesses. The victims were on their way to visit a monastery to pray. Only three children survived the attack, the Copts United news portal reported.

Video circulating on social media after the attack showed about the bodies of about 10 men scattered in the sand on the side of the road with pools of blood around them. Children hysterically screaming could be heard

in the background.

Local media also reported that the attackers were recording video themselves. Arab TV stations also showed images of the badly damaged bus along the roadside, many of its windows shattered and with numerous bullet holes. Footage of the bus's interior showed blood stains on the seats and shattered glass.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Egypt's Coptic Christians have become the preferred target of the Islamic State in the region. Egypt's Copts, the Middle East's largest Christian community, have repeatedly cried out for help from discrimination, as well as outright attacks, at the hands of the country's majority Muslim population. Coptic Christians account for about 10 percent of Egypt's 93 million people.

Muslim leaders rushed to condemn the incident, which occurred the day before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Dar al-Ifta, the state-linked Islamic authority in Egypt considered a beacon of Sunni Islam across the Middle East, released a statement on Facebook condemning the attack. "These traitors violated Islam's principles by spilling blood and terrorising others, and broke their vows [of protection] by targeting Christian brothers, who are our partners in the homeland.

"Neither Muslim nor Christian approves of the Minya incident, which targets stability in Egypt," wrote Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, in a statement released through the institution's official Facebook page. "I call upon all Egyptians to unite in the face of this brutal terrorism."

Bishop Anba Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox leader in the UK, tweeted that he was speechless after hearing of the attack.

Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, who hosted Coptic Orthodox leader Pope Tawadros at Lambeth Palace this month, said he was "heartbroken by the news of another awful attack on men, women and children, murdered because of their faith in Jesus Christ", adding: "Today we stand with all those who fear for their lives because of their faith. We stand with Pope Tawadros and all the Christians of Egypt, in prayer and solidarity." Among the wave of recent attacks on Egypt's Christians: twin suicide bombings on Palm Sunday in April and another attack in December on a Cairo church, caught on video. ISIS in Egypt claimed responsibility for them and vowed more attacks.

"The government must be more intentional about protecting vulnerable minorities and punishing the attackers. Continual support for displaced families is vital, whether it is food, housing, or medical care. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time," human rights group International Christian Concern's Regional Manager William Stark reacted.

Many of Egypt's Christians rallied behind the general-turned-president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, in 2013 when he ousted his Islamist predecessor Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood group. Attacks on Christian homes, businesses and churches have surged in the ensuing years, especially in the country's south.

In February, members of an ISIS affiliate released a video saying that Egyptian Christians were their "favorite prey." The video showed images of a suicide bomber who killed nearly 30 people inside a packed Cairo church

in December.