<p>A gunman opened fire on a church south of Cairo on Friday, killing at least nine people in the latest apparent jihadist attack on the country's Christian minority.<br /><br />Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed told state television that the gunman was shot dead after killing nine people and wounding others, including a police officer.<br /><br />But the interior ministry said in a statement that the assailant, a wanted jihadist implicated in attacks on police, had been wounded and arrested.<br /><br />The jihadist had been armed with an assault rifle, 150 rounds of ammunition and a bomb he intended to set off at the church, the ministry said.<br /><br />The ministry said he killed two people when he opened fire on a store before heading to the church where he shot dead seven people including an officer.<br /><br />Cellphone footage posted on social media appeared to show the bearded gunman wearing a bulky ammunition vest sprawled on a street, barely conscious, as people restrained his arms and then handcuffed him.<br /><br />Police later cordoned off the crime scene as onlookers crowded around the church, while a forensics team combed the area.<br /><br />Congealing blood could be seen at a guard post in front of the church.<br /><br />The Islamic State group's affiliate in Egypt has killed dozens of Christians in church bombings and shootings over the past year, and has threatened further attacks against the minority.<br /><br />Friday's attack came ahead of Christmas for the Copts, who celebrate it on January 7.<br /><br />Egypt's Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of the country's 93 million people, and are the largest religious minority in the region.<br /><br />IS claimed a suicide bombing of a Cairo church in December 2016 followed by bombings of two churches north of the capital in April.<br /><br />A month later, IS gunmen shot dead about 30 Christians south of Cairo as they travelled to a monastery.<br /><br />The jihadists are believed to have also carried out a massacre of Muslim worshippers in Sinai last month, killing more than 300 in an attack on a mosque associated with the mystical Sufi strand of Islam which IS views as heretical.<br /><br />Egypt imposed a state of emergency following the church attacks and shootings, and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi demanded the army confront the jihadists with "brutal force" following the mosque massacre.<br /><br />The presidency said in a statement on Friday's church attack that it would increase the "resolve to continue the path of cleansing the country of terrorism and extremism."<br /><br />IS has been waging a deadly insurgency based in the Sinai Peninsula bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers.<br /><br />The jihadists have increasingly targeted civilians as attacks on the security forces have become more difficult.<br /><br />The army has poured in thousands of troops backed with armour and jets in a bid to crush the Sinai-based jihadists, but attacks have continued.<br /><br />The attack on the church came a day after six Egyptian soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in the Sinai.<br /><br />Last week, IS claimed responsibility for firing an anti-tank missile at a helicopter in a North Sinai airport as the defence and interior ministers were visiting.<br /><br />The attack killed an aide to the defence minister and a helicopter pilot, but both ministers returned to Cairo unscathed.<br /> </p>
<p>A gunman opened fire on a church south of Cairo on Friday, killing at least nine people in the latest apparent jihadist attack on the country's Christian minority.<br /><br />Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed told state television that the gunman was shot dead after killing nine people and wounding others, including a police officer.<br /><br />But the interior ministry said in a statement that the assailant, a wanted jihadist implicated in attacks on police, had been wounded and arrested.<br /><br />The jihadist had been armed with an assault rifle, 150 rounds of ammunition and a bomb he intended to set off at the church, the ministry said.<br /><br />The ministry said he killed two people when he opened fire on a store before heading to the church where he shot dead seven people including an officer.<br /><br />Cellphone footage posted on social media appeared to show the bearded gunman wearing a bulky ammunition vest sprawled on a street, barely conscious, as people restrained his arms and then handcuffed him.<br /><br />Police later cordoned off the crime scene as onlookers crowded around the church, while a forensics team combed the area.<br /><br />Congealing blood could be seen at a guard post in front of the church.<br /><br />The Islamic State group's affiliate in Egypt has killed dozens of Christians in church bombings and shootings over the past year, and has threatened further attacks against the minority.<br /><br />Friday's attack came ahead of Christmas for the Copts, who celebrate it on January 7.<br /><br />Egypt's Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of the country's 93 million people, and are the largest religious minority in the region.<br /><br />IS claimed a suicide bombing of a Cairo church in December 2016 followed by bombings of two churches north of the capital in April.<br /><br />A month later, IS gunmen shot dead about 30 Christians south of Cairo as they travelled to a monastery.<br /><br />The jihadists are believed to have also carried out a massacre of Muslim worshippers in Sinai last month, killing more than 300 in an attack on a mosque associated with the mystical Sufi strand of Islam which IS views as heretical.<br /><br />Egypt imposed a state of emergency following the church attacks and shootings, and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi demanded the army confront the jihadists with "brutal force" following the mosque massacre.<br /><br />The presidency said in a statement on Friday's church attack that it would increase the "resolve to continue the path of cleansing the country of terrorism and extremism."<br /><br />IS has been waging a deadly insurgency based in the Sinai Peninsula bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers.<br /><br />The jihadists have increasingly targeted civilians as attacks on the security forces have become more difficult.<br /><br />The army has poured in thousands of troops backed with armour and jets in a bid to crush the Sinai-based jihadists, but attacks have continued.<br /><br />The attack on the church came a day after six Egyptian soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in the Sinai.<br /><br />Last week, IS claimed responsibility for firing an anti-tank missile at a helicopter in a North Sinai airport as the defence and interior ministers were visiting.<br /><br />The attack killed an aide to the defence minister and a helicopter pilot, but both ministers returned to Cairo unscathed.<br /> </p>