Two Copts shot dead in Egypt days after Cairo church attack
Two Coptic Christians were reportedly killed after a masked gunman shot them at a liquor in Giza province on New Year's Eve.
According to Arab News, the gunman rode on the back of a motorcycle taxi and opened fire on the liquor store when the streets were still bustling with New Year revelers.
The Coptic owner of the liquor store survived the shooting, but two of his friends who were celebrating the New Year with him were killed.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, and the authorities are still investigating the motive.
Liquor stores in Egypt are mostly run by Copts, who have come under attack in the past from Muslims who believe that the sale of alcohol should be banned because it is forbidden by Islam.
On Jan. 2, 2017, a man slit the throat of a Coptic Christian who owned a liquor store in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria.
The court sentenced the assailant to death after he said that he would kill all shop owners who sell alcohol if he could.
Egypt's large Christian minority has been targeted in several attacks by Islamic militants in recent years, including two bombings on Palm Sunday in April and a blast at Cairo's largest Coptic cathedral in December 2016.
The New Year's Eve attack in Giza took place just days after a gunman killed at least 11 people during an assault on a Coptic Orthodox Church and another Christian-owned shop in Cairo.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the church attack through its Amaq news agency, although the group did not provide any evidence for the claim. Investigators said that the gunman had carried out several attacks in Egypt since last year.
A joint funeral, led by the head of the Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, was held for eight of the victims at the Virgin Mary church in Helwan last week.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offered his condolences and called on security forces to step up the safety measures at sensitive sites, according to a statement released by his office.
Security measures have been stepped up around churches ahead of the Coptic Christmas celebrations on Jan. 7.
According to the security plans, 800-meter "safe areas" will be applied around churches and security forces will be providing explosive detection devices to counter any attempts to target places of worship.
The procedures will be implemented in all 2,326 churches in Egypt, including all 1,326 Orthodox churches, 1,100 Protestant churches and 200 Catholic churches.
The Abbasiya Patriarchate will be preparing for Christmas celebrations on Jan. 6, coinciding with the finalization of the restoration work for the Grand Church in the cathedral where a Mass will be held on the holy night.