Egyptian security sources said on Sunday that four men had been arrested for their alleged involvement in sectarian clashes that erupted in Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt, on Saturday. Nine others are said to have been identified as involved in the clashes.
The crisis in Sogah erupted between Muslims and Copts in the Awlad Khalaf village, near the city of Dar al-Salam, following rumors that a Coptic worker was building an unlicensed church.
Fighting began late on Saturday, leaving five Muslims and one Copt injured, as well as eight houses belonging to Copts destroyed by fire.
Security reinforcements were sent to the village to take control of the situation and prevent further trouble.
Two Copts – Wahba Halim Atteyah and Ihab Na’eem – were arrested on suspicion of shooting Muslims.
Meanwhile, the two Muslims accused of setting Copts’ houses on fire were also arrested. Nine other suspects were identified by the security services and are currently being looked for.
A security source in the Sohag Governorate told Al-Masry Al-Youm that there are around 30 houses in the village belonging to Copts, and that they are now being protected by police.
Governor Waddah al-Hamzawy has formed a committee to assess the damage resulting from the clashes. The committee reported that eight houses belonging to Copts were damaged during attacks by Muslims, and that the estimated value of losses was around LE167,000.
Investigations revealed that a Coptic worker, who had a license for building a house on 90 square meters, violated the license and built on an area of 350 square meters, which sparked rumors that he was building a church.
The local council at Dar al-Salam decided that construction should be halted until the encroachments had been removed. However, the worker ignored the council's ruling and tried to complete the building, which led local Muslims to carry out attacks on the Coptic community.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
