Gunmen Kill 26 Egyptian Christians In Bus Attack

An attack on a bus carrying Egyptian Coptic Christians on a religious pilgrimage has claimed the lives of 26, according to Egyptian authorities.

Reports released on Friday by state TV networks allege that masked men armed in several off-road vehicles ambushed the bus as it made it's way to the St. Samuel Monastery in Minya, a province some 150-miles south of Egyptian capital Cairo. At least 27 have been left seriously injured by the hail of gunfire.

This instance of brutal violence is not an isolated incident for the Coptic Christians in Egypt. Definitive figures are difficult to obtain, but it is estimated that Christians make up around 10% of Egypt's mostly Muslim population of 83 million. The group has faced discrimination in the past, but in recent years they have found themselves increasingly targeted by Islamic extremist organizations and militias.

Last month's tragic Palm Sunday attacks on several churches claimed over 40 lives and prompted a state of emergency in Egypt. The group calling themselves the Islamic State claimed responsibility for those attacks, while none have come forward in relation to Friday's bus attack.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo issued a warning to traveling citizens in the country that potential for an attack had increased, as ISIS and its affiliates attempt to gain footholds throughout the region after U.S.-led coalition airstrikes pummel their territory.