Egyptian christians flee from Sinai

Dozens of Egyptians Christians have fled the Sinai peninsula after a series of attacks that claimed the lives of three Copts, in this region where Islamic State attacks are rampant officials of the Church said on Friday.

Approximately 250 Christians sought refuge in the Evangelical Church Ismaïlya near the Suez Canal according to the same source.

The Islamic State which is very active in the Sinai, published a video on Sunday in which it promised to target the members of the Christian community.

The Copts, who constitute 10% of the 92 million Egyptians, had already in the past been targeted in the Sinai, but these attacks have increased since the dissemination of the video.

The Copts say they are also victims of discrimination throughout the country coming mostly from the authorities and of the Muslim majority.

In December, the Islamic sate claimed responsibility for a suicide attack against an Orthodox Coptic church in Cairo which left at least 29 dead.