Ten people were killed and over a 100 injured in overnight clashes between Muslim and Christian groups in the Egyptian capital, Xinhua reported on Wednesday. The health and population ministry said on Wednesday that 10 people were killed and 110 injured in the violence.
The clashes took place in the Muqattam, Qalaa and Sayeda Eisha districts of Cairo, the MENA news agency reported quoting Sherif Zamel, head of the ministry's ambulance and emergency division. He said the dead and the injured were brought to various hospitals. The violence, which continued for the fourth day on Tuesday, escalated after Coptic protestors blocked a main road in front of the Egyptian radio and TV building in Cairo for over two hours.
The protests by Coptic Christians began after a church was torched in a village in the Helwan governorate. They demanded ending of the sectarian attacks against them and rebuilding the burnt Shahedain church. They also called for providing protection for the Copts and compensation for the losses suffered by them