Sunday, October 9, 2011

Coptic Christians fire on soldiers in Cairo

23 dead, scores more injured after attack

Cairo – The cabinet will go into emergency session on Monday morning, Oct. 10 following attacks by Coptic Christians that left 23 dead and scores injured.

This is the highest number of casualties since dictator Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February following weeks of street protests and the occupation of Tahrir Square.

Muslim radicals attacked a Coptic church in Aswan province last week. When Coptics gathered at about 8 p.m. Local time to protest on Sunday, they fired rifles at Egyptian soldiers, according to BBC reports and sources that report to Stratfor, an Austin-based private intelligence agency.

Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said on his Facebook page, “What is taking place are not clashes between Muslims and Christians but attempts to provoke chaos and dissent.”

Coptic Christians make up about 10% of the population. They accuse Egypt's military council of being too lenient on perpetrators of serial anti-Christian attacks.

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