By AFP

CAIRO: Gunmen shot dead a church guard and wounded another south of the Egyptian capital on Thursday before fleeing, a security official said.

Three men drove up to the Al-Roda village church in Fayoum, got out and began beating the two guards before opening fire.

One guard, Rabie Ali Mohammed, died at the scene, the official said. The other was wounded and taken to hospital.

Residents chased the gunmen out of the village, witnesses said.

The motive behind the shooting was not immediately clear, but the security official said initial investigations point to a family feud.