Last week President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi met Prime Minister Ismail Sherif and the ministers of interior and defence Magdi Abdel-Ghaffar and Sedki Sobhi to be briefed on the latest developments regarding last month's Minya attack in which 30 Copts were killed and 24 others injured. During the meeting, Al-Sisi stressed the importance of a speedy capture of the perpetrators, as well as combating any threat to the stability of the country, whether domestic or international. On 26 May armed men driving three 4x4 trucks attacked a bus carrying Copts in Upper Egypt's Minya governorate while they were on their way to the monastery. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack. Abdel-Ghaffar said the security head of Minya governorate in Upper Egypt Faisal Dewidar had been sacked and appointed deputy director of the security forces. Dewidar's transfer was ratified as part of a bigger reshuffle in the security apparatus of Minya governorate which included 13 other security officials who were removed from their posts and appointed elsewhere. Dewidar was replaced by acting head Mamdouh Abdel-Monsef who was previously deputy security head of Beheira governorate. An investigation into the inspection, control and public security sectors in the Interior Ministry has uncovered signs of a security shortage in the governorate at the time of the incident. No security services were present on the road leading to Saint Samuel Monastery in Al-Adwa city in Minya. According to the interior minister, the steps being taken to apprehend the assailants are still ongoing. “Several steps were taken since the attack, including appointing security personnel on the stretch of the desert road leading to the Minya monastery and on nearby roads. This will facilitate the mission of the security forces to intervene immediately if there are other attacks,” said Abdel-Ghaffar. The Supreme State Security Prosecution in Minya and Beni Sweif are still investigating the attack. The prosecution listened to testimonies of passengers who were rescued. They reported that the attackers asked them to get out of the bus, seized their personal belongings, then opened fire on them. They also killed workers in a vehicle who happened to be passing by during the incident. Newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron extended his condolences to Al-Sisi over the phone, affirming his country's condemnation of the terrorist attack and the solidarity of the French people and government with Egypt. Al-Sisi thanked Macron for his condolences and said the attack confirmed the need to bolster and intensify international efforts to combat terrorism. Al-Sisi also stressed that his country will not hesitate to defend itself and its citizens against the threat of terrorism. The shooting came less than two months after the Palm Sunday attacks and on the eve of Islam's holy month of Ramadan. In December, St Peter and St Paul's Church in Cairo was also bombed during Sunday's prayers. The attacks were claimed by IS.
