In the aftermath of a funeral of a young Muslim who died during sectarian violence, clashes between hundreds of Muslim residents and the police in the Giza town of Dahshur broke out again at dawn on Wednesday.
Moaz Mohamed, who had suffered serious burns from a Molotov cocktail during the initial clashes, died on Tuesday at Helmia Military Hospital in Cairo.
The clashes started on Friday after a Christian launderer burned a Muslim customer's shirt during ironing.
After Mohamed's funeral, hundreds of Muslim residents tried to storm Dahshur's Mar Girgis Church but were stopped by police, who also evacuated Christians from their homes.
The Giza Police Authority deployed additional Central Security Forces after two police and 13 central security officers were injured in the fighting and four Coptic-owned stores were destroyed.
The security forces reportedly gained control of the town, but reconciliation attempts have failed as the two parties refuse to resolve the issue.
Following the outbreak of violence, a judge has decided to extend the imprisonment of four Coptic family members of the launderer. The charges against them were changed from attempted murder to murder and possessing explosives after Mohamed died.
A security source in Giza said that security services were on their way to settle the dispute and hold a reconciliation meeting between the two parties, but the victim's death halted their plans.
The source added that village leaders and senior families will try to bring the two parties together for talks.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
