On 26 May 2017, masked gunmen opened fire on a convoy carrying
Copts
Copts (; ) are a Christians, Christian ethnoreligious group, ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptians, Egyptian population, des ...
from
Maghagha
Maghagha () is a city in Egypt, located on the west bank of the Nile. It is the northernmost city in the Minya Governorate.
History
The old names of the town were ''Nimoui'' (, from ) and ''Gazirat al-Hagar'' ().ابن مماتي ص197
In Ma ...
in
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
's
Minya Governorate
Minya ( ') is one of the governorates of Upper Egypt. Its capital city, Minya, is located on the left bank of the Nile River.
Etymology
The name originates from the chief city of the governorate, originally known in Sahidic Coptic as ''Tmoone ...
to the
Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor
Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor (Arabic: دير الأنبا صموئيل المعترف), Dair al-Anba Ṣamū'īl al-mu'tarif " or Deir el-Qalamun (Arabic: دير القلمون) is an Egyptian monastery in the Western Desert.
Locatio ...
, killing at least 33 people and injuring 22 others.
Background
Copts
Copts (; ) are a Christians, Christian ethnoreligious group, ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptians, Egyptian population, des ...
have faced growing persecution and sectarian violence in Egypt since the early 2010s. In February 2017, the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's Sinai chapter called for attacks on
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
, causing hundreds of Christians in the North Sinai region to flee their homes and avoid celebrating the
Easter
Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
holiday. On 9 April 2017,
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...
, ISIS-SP
bombed two Coptic churches—St. George's Church in the northern Egyptian city of
Tanta
Tanta ( ' ) is a city in Egypt. Tanta had a population of 658,798 in 2018, making it the fifth most populous city in Egypt. Tanta is located between Cairo and Alexandria: north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria. The capital of Gharbia Gove ...
on the
Nile delta
The Nile Delta (, or simply , ) is the River delta, delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's larger deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the eas ...
, and
Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral () is a Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Coptic church architecture, church located in the Abbassia District in Cairo, Egypt. The cathedral is the Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria, seat of ...
, the principal church in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
—killing 45 people and injuring at least 125 others. In response to the Palm Sunday attacks,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has been serving as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014.
After the 2011 Egyptian revolution and 201 ...
announced a nationwide three-month-long
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
.
Attack
The three-vehicle convoy was near the village of Adwa in northern Minya Governorate, near the border with Beni Suef Governorate, when it was ambushed on a road to the monastery by 8-10 Arab tribesmen with guns reportedly in military-style uniforms.
Attackers shot at a mini-bus containing children, killing at least six, including a four-year-old and two-year-old. Gunmen also entered a bus in the convoy, stealing phones and jewelry from female riders and killing the men, "leaving Islamist leaflets among the bodies."
Some men and boys were also removed from the bus and asked to recite the
Shahada
The ''Shahada'' ( ; , 'the testimony'), also transliterated as ''Shahadah'', is an Islamic oath and creed, and one of the Five Pillars of Islam and part of the Adhan. It reads: "I bear witness that there is no Ilah, god but God in Islam, God ...
, and they were shot dead when they refused to do so.
A pickup truck in the convoy with workmen headed to the monastery was also targeted, and at least eight workers were killed.
After the attack, the gunmen drove off in three
four-wheel drive
A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...
vehicles.
No group took immediate responsibility for the attack, although analysts suspected that
ISIS
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
was responsible.
Amaq News Agency
Amaq News Agency () is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq is often the "first point of publication for claims of responsibility" for terrorist attacks in Western countries by the Islamic State. In March 2019, Amaq News Agency w ...
attributed it to "(a) group that belongs to Islamic State". ISIS later released an official statement claiming credit. Others have argued, however, that
al-Qaeda
, image = Flag of Jihad.svg
, caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions
, founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden
, leaders = {{Plainlist,
* Osama bin Lad ...
loyalist
Hesham Ashmawy
Hesham Ali Ashmawy Mos'ad Ibrahim (; 1978 – 4 March 2020) was a convicted terrorist who previously was an Egyptian Army officer, suspected by the government of having orchestrated and been involved in a number of terrorist attacks on security ...
and his
al-Mourabitoun
The Independent Nasserite Movement – INM () or simply Al-Murabitoun ( lit. ''The Steadfast''), also termed variously Independent Nasserite Organization (INO) or Movement of Independent Nasserists (MIN), is a Nasserist political party in Leban ...
network were responsible for the Minya attack.
Response
After the attack, Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has been serving as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014.
After the 2011 Egyptian revolution and 201 ...
organized an emergency meeting with top security officials.
Security forces in Minya sent out patrols and set up checkpoints along roads in the area in an attempt to find the attackers.
In the evening of the day of the attacks, the president appeared on television to address the nation and announced he had ordered retaliatory attacks against terrorist training camps in neighboring
Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
.
State media said fighter jets had conducted six strikes against sites in the vicinity of the port city of
Derna where the militants responsible for the attack are believed to have trained.
A second wave of airstrikes was launched the following day, 27 May. On 29 May 2017, a spokesperson for the
Libyan National Army
The Libyan National Army (LNA; , ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii''), also known as the Libyan Arab Army (LAA; , ''al-Jaysh al-'Arabiyy al-Lībii'') or the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF; ), is a component of Libyan Armed Forces, Libya's mil ...
(LNA) confirmed that Egypt and the LNA had cooperated in targeting locations in Derna as well as Jufra with 15 airstrikes launched.
Reactions
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of His Holiness (; ), also known as the Cardinal Secretary of State or the Vatican Secretary of State, presides over the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia. Th ...
Pietro Parolin
Pietro Parolin (, ; born 17 January 1955) is an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic prelate who has served as the Holy See, Vatican's Cardinal Secretary of State, Secretary of State since 2013, and has served as a member of the Council o ...
stated in a telegram to President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has been serving as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014.
After the 2011 Egyptian revolution and 201 ...
that
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
was "deeply saddened to learn of the barbaric attack" and that he expressed his "heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this violent outrage." He also stated that "Pope Francis assures all who have been injured of his ardent prayers, and he pledges his continued intercession for peace and reconciliation throughout the nation."
Russian President
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
expressed his condolences and said Russia remains a reliable ally of Egypt in the fight against terrorism.
U.S. President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
blamed the attack on "evil organizations of terror" and "thuggish ideology", calling it a "merciless slaughter"
that "grieves our hearts and tears at our souls."
In
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
,
Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality building displayed red, white, black and golden hues on Saturday night as it was lit up in solidarity with Egypt.
In
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
, the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
commemorated the attacks by lighting up the
Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa (known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but inc ...
in Egyptian flag colors and the
Eagle of Saladin
The Eagle of Saladin (, ) is a heraldic eagle that serves as the coat of arms in some Arab countries: Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, and Yemen. Since the 1952 Egyptian revolution, the eagle has been an iconic symbol of Egypt, and of Arab nationalism, pa ...
.
In
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, the
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.
Locally nicknamed "''La dame de fe ...
's lights were turned off on 27 May as a sign of solidarity, at the request of Mayor
Anne Hidalgo
Ana María "Anne" Hidalgo Aleu (, ; born 19 June 1959) is a Spanish-French politician who has served as Mayor of Paris since 2014, the first woman to hold the office. She is a member of the Socialist Party (France), Socialist Party (PS).
Hidalg ...
.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, reaffirms its strong condemnation of any act contrary to respect for life, peaceful coexistence and human rights and reiterates its commitment and support to the Arab Republic of Egypt in the fight against intolerance and terrorism in all its forms. The Government of the Republic of Guatemala expresses its solidarity with the People and Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, especially the families of the victims and expresses its hope for the prompt recovery of the wounded.
See also
*
2018 Minya bus attack
*
2011 Alexandria bombing
*
2011 Imbaba church attacks
The 2011 Imbaba church attacks were a series of attacks that took place in Egypt on 7 May 2011 against Coptic Christian churches in the poor working-class neighborhood of Imbaba in Giza, near Cairo. The attacks were blamed on Salafi Muslims,
*
Botroseya Church bombing
*
Christianity in Egypt
Christianity is the second largest religion in Egypt. The vast majority of Egyptian Christians are Copts. As of 2019, Copts in Egypt make up approximately 10 percent of the nation's population, with an estimated population of 9.5 million or 10 m ...
*
Coptic Orthodox Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church (), also known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt. The head of the church and the See of Alexandria is the pope of Alexandria on the Holy Apo ...
*
Kosheh massacres
*
Nag Hammadi massacre
The Nag Hammadi massacre was a massacre of Coptic Christians carried out on the eve of 7 January 2010, in the Egyptian city of Nag Hammadi. The massacre occurred at the hands of Muslim gunmen in front of the Nag Hammadi Cathedral, as Coptic Chri ...
*
Persecution of Copts
The persecution of Copts and broader patterns of discrimination against Christians in Egypt are reflected in a range of documented incidents throughout the country's history, including cases of forced conversion, as well as other forms of systemi ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minya attack, 2017
May 2017 crimes in Africa
May 2017 in Egypt
Bus incidents in Egypt
ISIL terrorist incidents in Egypt
Islamic terrorist incidents in 2017
Massacres of Christians
21st-century mass murder in Egypt
Massacres in 2017
Massacres in Egypt
Mass shootings in Egypt
Persecution of Copts by ISIL
2017 road incidents in Africa
Terrorist incidents in Egypt in 2017
2017 attack
2017 mass shootings in Africa
2017 murders in Egypt
Violence against men in Africa
Ambushes in Egypt