Gunmen slaughter Coptic Christians traveling to monastery

At least 24 people were massacred – including many children — in Egypt and 25 others injured Friday when masked gunmen opened fire on a convoy carrying Coptic Christians to a monastery.

The group was traveling in two buses and a truck about 140 miles south of Cairo outside the Minya province, which is home to a large Christian minority, sources told Reuters.

“What we now know for sure is that three cars executed the attack, with up to 10 men inside,” said Gen. Essam al-Din Bedewi, the Minya governor.

“Security forces have now closed the road leading to the monastery. We are now intensifying security, as this road is close to the western desert, and we fear that the perpetrators may attempt to escape through the mountainous area close to the monastery,” he said.

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