When terrorist attacks erupted in 1996 in Minya, the chief of security told the priest of the church of Archangel Mikhail in Assiut, that for security reasons it was necessary to build a higher wall around the church and replace its old wooden doors with new ones. Other parts of the church were affected by the restoration work the security ordered to be done. When repairing these parts, the security forces accused the church of erecting unlicensed buildings and all construction work was halted.