Egypt Latest: Six Die in Attack on Christian Church (Al Jazeera English)

UPDATE 2030 GMT: A large demonstration from Imbaba has arrived tonight in front of the State TV building in central Cairo.

UPDATE 1905 GMT: The toll is now 12 dead and 232 injured. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said 190 people were arrested and would be tried in front of a military court.

UPDATE 0940 GMT: Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharf has called an emergency Cabinet meeting.

The toll from the attack on the Christian church in Imbaba in Cairo is now reported as 10 people dead and 186 wounded.

UPDATE 0610 GMT: A Twitter message from journalist David Botti just after the Imbaba church attack last night --- "Now home safe. We were set on by large angry crowd in Imbaba, chasing us for blocks. Incredibly dangerous."

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Al Jazeera English reports:

At least six people have been killed and 75 others wounded in clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Egyptian capital Cairo, hospital and security officials said.

Saturday's clashes erupted after a group of Muslims attacked the Coptic Saint Mena church in the northwestern district of Imbaba to free a Christian woman they alleged was being held against her will because she wanted to convert to Islam.

The verbal clash soon developed into a full fledged confrontation where the two sides exchanged gunfire, firebombs and stones.

Hermina, a parish priest, told the AFP news agency that the victims were Copts who died when "thugs 
and Salafists fired at them" in the late afternoon attack.

The church floor was bloodstained as wounded Christians were brought in for treatment.

Shahira Abu Leil, a blogger and activist, told Al Jazeera that Salafists were not involved in the clashes, and that attempts were being made to bring security to the area.

"A building was also set on fire, and people are trying to prevent a possible explosion from gas leakages," she said.

Authorities deployed large numbers of soldiers and police, backed by armoured vehicles, to the area. The army fired shots in the air and used tear gas to separate both sides, witnesses said.
 
Interfaith relationships often cause tension in Egypt, where Christians make up about 10 per cent of its 80 million people.

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