That stoked panic among Christians, who before Thursday’s death had already seen six members of their community killed in recent weeks. Three other Christians in Sinai were killed earlier in drive-by shootings or attacks on their homes and shops. The military’s fight against the Sinai militants, who vowed allegiance to the Islamic State group, has been bitter. Christians, mainly belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church, make up an estimated 10 percent of Egypt’s population and have suffered decades of discrimination and attacks by Islamic militants. A total of 30 Christians in northern Sinai, including Copts in the military and two priests, have been killed since 2013, said the priest.

Source: Washington Post February 24, 2017 07:54 UTC