Pope expresses ‘pain’ over attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt

Pope Francis said he would pray for the victims of the attack that killed seven. (AFP)

• Seven Coptic Christians were killed in a terror attack claimed by the Daesh group in Egypt
• 19 suspected militants linked to the deadly attack were killed in a shootout with police

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis said he was pained Sunday over an attack, claimed by Daesh, on Coptic Christians in Egypt which left seven dead.
“I express my pain after the terrorist attack which two days ago hit the Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt,” Francis said in Saint Peter’s.
“I pray for the victims, pilgrims killed just because they were Christian,” he added.
In Egypt, 19 suspected militants linked to the deadly attack were killed in a shootout with police, the interior ministry said Sunday.
The Daesh group said it was behind Friday’s attack near the central city of Minya as the Copts returned from a visit to the desert cemetery of Saint Samuel that was also targeted in 2017.