Two Egyptian Christians were shot dead by a gunman on early Monday, as they celebrated the New Year at a liquor store, judicial and security sources said.

It comes three days after a gunman killed nine people at a church south of the capital and follows a spate of attacks on Christians in the country.

The gunman travelled on the back of a motorcycle taxi and opened fire on the liquor store in Cairo's twin city Giza at around 1:30am, when the streets were still bustling with New Year revellers, the sources said.

The store's Christian owner survived but his two friends were killed.

Most liquor stores are run by Coptic Christians who have come attack from hardline Muslims.

On 2 January 2016, a Muslim slit the throat of a Coptic liquor store owner in Alexandria.

The assailant was sentenced to death after telling the court that he would kill all alcohol sellers if he could.

Egypt's Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of the country's 93 million people, and are the largest religious minority in the region.

Dozens of Christians have been killed in church bombings and shootings claimed by the Islamic State group over the past year.