Arsonists set ablaze Benghazi’s Coptic Church Thursday. No one was hurt in the attack. The attackers whose identity is unknown are said to have told members of the church to get out of the building. The pries was taken to the residence of Egyptian consul for safety.
It is reported in Cairo that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry has condemned the attack and said it would pursue the matter with the Libyan government.
It is the second attack in a fortnight on the church. On Feb. 28, assailants assaulted the priest and an assistant. In that instance, the attackers were said to be hardline Islamists.
The incident, which was subsequently condemned by the government, followed the arrest of a number of Copts in Benghazi accused of proselytizing. The allegations turned out to be unfounded and were dropped although the Egyptians were then deported; it was reported that they were in Libya illegally. [Saudi Gazette] Read more
