GETTY ISIS threatens attacks against Christians in Egypt

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Jihadists have increasingly targeted Egypt’s Coptic Christians in retaliation for their support of President Sisi. Orthodox Copts make up about 10 per cent of Egypt’s 90 million people and are the Middle East’s largest Christian community. In the 20-minute clip, the group singles out prominent Christian Egyptians, identifying the Coptic Pope and a number of wealthy businessmen as the group’s “favourite prey”.

I swear to God we will very soon liberate Cairo and free you from captivity. Islamic State in Egypt

The footage features a masked jihadi, identified as Abu Abdallah al-Masri, who promises to see the release of imprisoned Islamists when the group takes control of the capital. Al-Masri — which means “The Egyptian” — was the nom de guerre that ISIS gave the militant behind the suicide bombing at St. Mark’s Cathedral. The December attack, in which 29 people were killed - was the deadliest on Egyptian Christians in living memory.

NC The video pictured the funerals of victims of St. Mark’s Cathedral bombing

ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombing, its deadliest attack in Egypt outside the Sinai Peninsula, where it has been waging an insurgency since 2013. In the video, the militant is seen clutching an assault rifle while standing in a wheat field. He says: “Finally, to my brothers in captivity: rejoice, you believers, do not falter or grieve. I swear to God we will very soon liberate Cairo and free you from captivity.

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“We will come bearing explosives, I swear we will, so rejoice you believers.” The narrator goes on to say that Christians were no longer “Dhimmis” - a term used in Islam in reference to non-Muslims who enjoy a degree of state protection. Instead, the group describes Egyptian Christians as “infidels who are empowering the West against Muslim nations”.

NC The video identifies a number of potential Christian targets including the Coptic pope