Security authorities in the Upper Egyptian province of Minya helped defuse sectarian tensions with a reconciliation session Tuesday, in the wake of fighting between Muslims and Copts in the town of Mallawi Monday evening.
The governorate's security department had received a report about a fight between two 18-year-old students, Girgis Abu Aziz and Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Qader, at a local coffee shop. Relatives of both men reportedly hurled stones at each other and exchanged gunfire, wounding five people Monday.
Security forces cordoned the town off to prevent further clashes.
Sectarian strife has plagued the country recently, particularly in Upper Egypt, where such feuds often turn violent. Fighting last month in the city of Dahshur, Giza, left one person dead amid clashes over a disagreement between a Coptic launderer and his Muslim client.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
