The Press

Jihadis vow to liberate Cairo from Christians

-

EGYPT: Islamic State in Egypt has threatened to carry out further attacks on Christians in a video featuring a man the terrorists claim was the suicide bomber who killed 29 people at a cathedral last December.

Jihadists in the 20-minute film also promised to ‘‘liberate’’ Cairo. They railed against Egypt’s 9 million Christians and targeted figures such as the Coptic Pope and wealthy Christian businessme­n.

The footage cut to a masked man, identified as Abu Abdallah al-Masri – a nom de guerre meaning ‘‘the Egyptian’’. He promised that Islamists jailed in Egypt would be freed soon when the group took over the capital.

Al-Masri was described in the video as a martyr. The terrorist group claims he was behind the suicide bombing in a chapel within St Mark’s Cathedral complex, the seat of the Coptic Pope.

The bombing was the deadliest to hit Egypt’s Christian community, which makes up about 11 per cent of the population. ‘‘Finally, to my brothers in captivity: rejoice, you believers, do not falter or grieve,’’ the jihadist said, clutching an assault rifle in a field of wheat.

‘‘I swear to God we will very soon liberate Cairo and free you from captivity. We will come bearing explosives. I swear we will, so rejoice you believers.’’

The video adopted a new logo reading Islamic State in Egypt, rather than the Sinai Province. The new name suggests the group plans to expand in northern Africa as it turns away from Syria and Iraq, where it is losing ground.

The Egyptian militants have increased their bloody campaign against the Coptic Christian community.

Last week a teacher was shot on his way to school by two men on a motorbike. Five days earlier, jihadists shot dead a Christian veterinary surgeon in the same coastal city of al-Arish.

The Egyptian authoritie­s have been accused of failing to protect the Coptic Christians.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from New Zealand