Security authorities at the Upper Egyptian province of Sohag have managed to forestall a potential sectarian feud between Muslims and Christians in the village of Mashta after a Muslim fisherman accused three Copts of setting his boat on fire due to previous disputes of land ownership.
Abdel Rahim al-Sayyed accused three Copts of setting his boat on fire while mooring off a plot of land on the Nile River that belongs to them.
He said he had earlier disputes with the trio over the ownership of a nearby piece of land.
Police immediately intervened when relatives from both sides gathered at the scene of the incident, arresting parties to the conflict.
Citizens extinguished the fire.
Sectarian tensions between Muslims and Christians have flared since the ouster of Egypt's first democractically elected president, Mohamed Morsy. Many Brotherhood supporters blame Christians for his ouster as many in the Christian community did not approve of his administration.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
