St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Egyptian Sinai. Photo: Berthold Werner via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for a terror attack at St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Egyptian Sinai late Tuesday. The attack killed one policeman and injured four more.

Islamic State terrorists opened fire from a hilltop overlooking a police checkpoint near the Christian monastery, Egypt’s Interior Ministry said. The terrorists fled the scene following an exchange of gunfire with police officers.

The Islamic State-affiliated Amaq news agency released a statement claiming responsibility for the terror attack, which came after two Islamic State terror attacks at Egyptian Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday April 9, in the Nile Delta city of Tanta and the coastal city of Alexandria. The attacks killed a combined 45 people.

This year’s Easter Mass observances in Egypt were marred by the Palm Sunday terror attacks. All celebratory aspects of the holiday were canceled and ceremonies at Coptic churches had a heavy security presence.