Egypt:10 killed as gunman attacks church in southern Cairo

Ten people were killed including a gunman in attack outside a church in the Helwan district of southern Cairo.

Egypt's Health Ministry spokesman said that 10 people killed including a gunman in attack outside Cairo church. A health ministry spokesman said the attack took place when gunmen on a motorbike opened fire outside Mar Mina church in Helwan area.

At least 10 people, including eight Coptic Christians, were killed in the shootout outside the south Cairo church, he said, adding, one gunman was shot dead as was a security officer. State-run MENA news agency reported that the other gunman fled the scene.

The ministry said two of the injured are women, adding it employed 10 ambulances to transfer the injured to hospitals. The attack comes days before the Coptic celebration of the new year and orthodox Christmas Day on January 7.

Egypt's Coptic Christian minority has been targeted by Islamic terrorists in several attacks since last year that have killed over 100 people and wounded many others.

Egypt is a Muslim-majority country. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a church south of Cairo that left at least nine people dead.

A "security detachment" carried out the attack on the Saint Mina Coptic church in the district of Helwan, IS said in a statement via its propaganda agency Amaq.

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