Sisi phones Tawadros II to pay condolences for Minya attack

CAIRO – 26 May 2017: Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi called Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria late Friday, expressing his condolences for the terrorist attack in Minya that left 29 people dead.

A group of masked gunmen attacked a bus of Coptic Christians in the Egyptian governorate of Minya, official state television announced Friday.

Sisi pledged to punish the perpetrators of the attack, vowing intensive cooperation between state authorities to ensure justice for victims of the brutal aggression.

For his part, Pope Tawadros thanked Sisi for his closeness at such a sad time and stressed his confidence in the Egyptian state’s ability to bring the assailants to justice.

He asserted, “The Egyptian fabric will not be affected by these terrorist incidents.”

In response to the attack, Egypt's air forces held six intensive airstrikes on Derna, eastern Libya, targeting groups affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, believed to be responsible for the Minya attack.