Egypt Christians flee Sinai after a spate of attacks

Suspected Islamic militants gunned down a Coptic Christian man and stabbed his daughter to death inside his home in northern Sinai, the seventh such killing in a month's time in the restive region, officials and a Christian priest said Friday, prompting hundreds of Christians to flee from the area for fear of being targeted next.


The militants stormed the home of Kamel Youssef, a plumber, on Thursday and shot him to death in front of his wife and children in the town of Al-Arish, said two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Militants then kidnapped and stabbed his daughter before dumping her body near a police station, a priest in the city said. It wasn't immediately possible to confirm his account.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack but earlier this week, Egypt's ISIS affiliate, which is based in the Sinai Peninsula, vowed in a video to step up attacks against the embattled Christian minority. A spate of killings by suspected militants have spread fears among the Coptic community in Al-Arish as families left their homes after reportedly receiving threats on their cellphones.
 [dailystar.com.lb/AP]
24/2/17