Two Christians were injured on Monday when violence erupted between Muslims and Christians in a remote Minya village, the local Coptic Orthodox bishop announced on Tuesday.
According to a short statement issued by Bishop Makarious of Minya, a fight took place between Muslim and Christian youth at 10am on Monday in Assam village.
Bishop Makarious added that the security forces arrived immediately at the scene and 20 Muslims and 17 Christians were arrested; the general prosecution is investigating the incident.
He also said that two Christians were transferred to the hospital after being injured in the clashes, including a man in a very critical condition.
The bishop added that the same village witnessed similar sectarian clashes in July and implied that no one was held accountable.
According to news reports on Tuesday, the sectarian clashes erupted when a Muslim young man and a Christian young man fought over traffic and who would move first. As the fight expanded, several Christian-owned properties were torched.
Minya has seen a number of incidents of sectarian violence in recent months, usually resolved by authorities via traditional reconciliation sessions between local community leaders.
