The Coptic Church in Egypt said that dozens of Christian families living in the northern Sinai had been forced to flee their homes due to Salafi radicals’ violence against Christians.

The Islamic State terror group announced that it would murder “Christian crusaders” in Egypt. According to Egyptian media reports, seven Coptic Christians were recently murdered in the city of El-Arish in attacks carried out by terrorists who identify with the Islamic State.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian military said it has discovered and destroyed weapons-smuggling tunnels in the northern Sinai Peninsula next to Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Palestinian terror group Hamas.

A military spokesperson told Egyptian media that one tunnel, dug some 20 meters (66 feet) underground, branched out into three different tunnels. Oxygen tanks and communication technology cables were found in the tunnels.