Egypt: Five Killed In Sectarian Clashes

Five people have been killed and at least eight more wounded in clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town near Egypt's capital Cairo.

Security forces said the sectarian violence in El Khusus, north of the city, was some of the worst the country has seen for months.

Christian-Muslim confrontations have increased in Muslim-majority Egypt since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011 gave freer rein to hardline Islamists repressed under his rule.

Four Christian Copts and one Muslim were killed when members of both communities started fighting and shooting at each other, sources said.

Residents claimed an angry crowd smashed shops belonging to Christians and a Reuters news agency reporter saw a burned-out Coptic day care centre and several damaged shops belonging to Christian traders. An apartment lived in by Muslims was also burned.

Residents said the violence started on Friday when a group of Christian children were drawing on a wall of a Muslim religious institute.

Muslim residents said the drawings had offended them because one looked like a cross.

Men inspect a room destroyed in the violence

"I saw the kids drawing on the wall after afternoon prayers so I grabbed them and told them to remove what they'd just written," said Mahmoud Mahmoud al Alfi, a Muslim resident.

Then another man arrived and started beating the children, drawing a large crowd, he said. The situation escalated when someone drew a gun and fired into the air, allegedly killing one boy with a stray bullet.

President Mohamed Morsi's office expressed condolences to the victims and vowed to fight any sectarian violence.

"The presidency ... totally rejects any attempt against the unity and cohesiveness of Egyptian society and will decisively confront any attempt to spark sectarian strife among Egyptian people, Muslim and Christian," according to a statement.

Muslim leaders were also quick to condemn the sectarian violence which comes as Egypt struggles with a severe economic crisis and high inflation after two years of political upheaval.

President Morsi, a Brotherhood leader elected in June, has promised to protect the rights of Copts, who make up about 10% of Egypt's 84 million people.

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