Egypt breaks up terrorist ring targeting Coptic Christians

BBC:

Egypt's interior ministry says it has broken up what it describes as a underground terrorist group.

Officials say the group intended to carry out attacks on a number of Coptic Christian leaders and tourist targets, as well as a gas pipeline.

There was no immediate word on the number or identity of those arrested.

The interior ministry said the group was called al-Taefa al-Mansura, or Victorious Faction, and had 22 members based mainly in Cairo suburbs.

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It said the group was investigating the manufacture of bombs and poisons and planned to buy land near Cairo for training.

The announcement comes several days after clashes between Muslims and Copts in the city of Alexandria in which at least two people died.

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Since the Copts make up only 10 percent of the population in Egypt, it is hard to see how they could be considered a threat. This suggest the cause for the attacks is based on Islamic religious bigotry, which is the root cause of most terror attacks around the world. It would take a pretty perverted mind to say that the planned attacks were "self defense."