19 militants killed in Egypt security operation after attack on Christians

Egyptian security forces killed 19Islamist militants from a cell believed to be responsible for anattack on Christians in Minya province in central Egypt whichleft seven people dead, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

The suspects were killed in a firefight in the desert westof Minya province after security forces pursued them, theministry said in a statement. It did not say when the firefighttook place.

The group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the Minyaattack, which occurred on Friday, though it provided no evidenceof its involvement.

Gunmen killed theChristians in an attack on a bus that was travelling to a Coptic monasteryin the most serious assault on the minority in more than a year.

The attackers struck close to Saint Samuel the Confessor monastery in Minya, 260 kilometres up the Nile Riverfrom Cairo.

Relatives of the victims say a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl were among the dead. Nineteenpeople were wounded in the attack.

Local resident Hilalsaid he rushed to the sceneafter hearing about the attack and saw the militants on the road.

"Some of us came to try and block the road. There were three four-wheel drive vehicles and the militants opened fire ... Themilitants wore white thobes and checkered head-dresses," he said.

Aida Shehata, who was shot in her legs, said masked men opened fire on three buses from different directions.

Two of the buses were able to speed away and reach the monastery, but the militants stopped the third one and killed the driver and six of the passengers, including her husband and his brother.