CAIRO, Jan 18 (Aswat Masriya) – A suspect in the attack on security personnel guarding a church in the Upper Egypt governorate of Minya was killed in a police shootout, a top security official said.

Osama Metwally, the director of security in Minya said the suspect was killed while another was arrested during an arrest operation.

Metwally said the assailants belong to a "terrorist network" which includes two other suspects, believed to have been involved in the deadly attack on the policemen.   

On January 6, two policemen were killed as they stood guard outside a church after they were gunned down by masked men. The attack took place one day ahead of Coptic Christmas, observed on January 7. Security is typically tightened outside churches on that day.

Following the attack, dozens of policemen gathered at the vicinity of the Minya University Hospital in protest of the murder their colleagues.

A military funeral was held for the two policemen and was attended by Minya Governor Salah al-Din Zeyada. 

Militants have stepped up attacks targeting security forces in Egypt, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula, since the army's ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, which followed mass protests against his rule.