Egypt: 26 killed in attack on Coptic Christians bus (Lead)

Cairo May 26 (IANS) Twenty-six persons were killed on Friday when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a bus carrying Coptic Christians in central Egypt the state-run media said.

The passengers were travelling to the St. Samuel Monastery near the city of Minya when they came under attack Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mugahed told TV al-Masriya.

He said 25 others were also injured as the gunmen fired from two cars on a desert road around 100 km (62 miles) west of Minya.

The Health Ministry cited witnesses as saying there were between eight and 10 attackers and that they were wearing military uniforms.

Ambulances dispatched from the cities of Beni Suef and Minya transported the victims to local hospitals in Adwa Minya and Maghagha according to local news outlet Youm7.

There was no immediate claim for the attack which followed Islamic State-claimed bombings that killed at least 46 people at churches in Tanta and Alexandria last month.

--IANS
soni/dg