(Photo: AFP)Egyptian security forces killed seven suspected Islamic State militants in a shootout on Monday as they were meeting to plan attacks on minority Christians, the Interior Ministry said. The incident in the southern city of Assiut occurred a day after Egypt's cabinet approved a three-month state of emergency in the wake of Islamic State attacks on two Christian Coptic churches that killed at least 44 people. The seven militants were killed after they opened fire on security forces who approached them as they were meeting to plot further attacks on Christians, the ministry said in a statement. Ammunition, weapons, a motorcycle and Islamic State books and publications were found at the scene, the statement said. Sunday's bombings targeted Coptic churches in Alexandria and Tanta and marked one of the bloodiest days in recent memory for Egypt's Christian minority, the largest in the Middle East.

Source: Standard Digital April 11, 2017 09:22 UTC