Cowards shoot Coptic priest in the street

Cairo (AsiaNews) - A group of Islamist militants killed Mina Haroan Abboud, a 39-year-old Orthodox Coptic priest, in el-Arish, Sinai Peninsula. AsiaNews sources have confirmed the story.

The murder took place today, in the early afternoon. A group of men, probably Islamic extremists, stepped out of a car and stopped the priest as he walked in the street. After shooting the clergyman at point blank, they fled.

Fr Abboud was immediately taken to hospital but died a few hours later.

Meanwhile, tensions are rising across the country after yesterday's pro-Morsi demonstrations. Sources told AsiaNews that the Muslim Brotherhood is taking its revenge.

In Cairo, people are fighting on rooftops, and Brotherhood members are hunting down young organisers of the 30 June mass rally."They are going house to house, pointing rifles and machineguns. They are attacking with all sorts of weapons," witnesses said.