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Africa North
Policeman shoots Christian dead in southern Egypt
2011-01-12
Ay Pee, summarized:
An off-duty policeman got on a train and opened fire on Tuesday, killing a 71-year-old Christian man and wounding his wife and four other women, the Interior Ministry said. All those shot were Christians. The attack, which took place less than two weeks after the suicide bombing of a church killed 21, sparked new demonstrations by enraged Christians who pelted police with stones in southern Egypt.
BBC adds:
At least another five people were reported to have been injured in the shooting on a train between Assiut and Cairo. Officials said at least four of those hurt were Coptic Christians.

Witnesses said hundreds of Christians later clashed with police outside the hospital where the wounded were taken. Police fired teargas to disperse them, reports from Samalut, in Minya province, said.

The gunman, who officials said had boarded the train at Samalut, has been arrested. The Egyptian interior ministry named him as police officer Amer Ashour Abdel-Zaher. Officials have not given a motive for Tuesday's shooting.

The ministry statement said the officer "opened fire on some train passengers from his pistol and ran away", adding that he was later arrested at his home.

The BBC's Jon Leyne reports from Cairo that it is difficult to see how the gunmen would have known he could target Christians by boarding the train.
I imagine the Coptic women would not be veiled, and the murdered man would not have a prayer mark on his forehead.

Update 2:10pm ET. From the "Ask, and ye shall be answered" department, courtesy of Melanie Philips (hattip ryuge), from AlMasryAlYoum:
An unidentified gunman entered the train while it was stationed at the southern city of Samalout in the Minya governorate, some 260 km south of Cairo.

Security sources said the assailant had checked passengers for the green cross traditionally tatooed on the wrists of Coptic Christians in Egypt. After identifying several Copts, the culprit killed one of them and injured five others.
Posted by:tipper

#1  Just a sheer coincidence he was able to hit Christians in such a random shooting. They are such a majority of Egypt's citize...ns....err...

perhaps there's more to the story? Surely a personal blood feud among unfamiliar people?
Posted by: Frank G   2011-01-12 19:11  

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