Egyptian Interior Ministry: Mentally disturbed individual arrested for causing partial fire at a church

It added: "Upon arrival, it was found that there were traces of a partial fire on 3 curtains and a floor rug in a hall on the first floor of the church."

The ministry continued: "It was also found that a person was sitting on one of the chairs, shirtless, rambling in unintelligible words."

It confirmed that "he was subdued and apprehended. Upon reviewing the cameras, it was revealed that the aforementioned individual had entered the church carrying a plastic water bottle containing a white substance without being stopped by the administrative security responsible for the gate."

It pointed out that "upon examining the status of the perpetrator, it was found that he suffers from psychological disorders due to his addiction to crystal meth, and had previously been admitted to a psychiatric facility. Legal measures have been taken, and the Public Prosecution has initiated an investigation."

The Interior Ministry's statement was preceded by a statement from the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Central Giza, which explained that "at 6:00 AM (4:00 GMT), an unknown person entered the Church of the Virgin Mary in the Birak El-Khiyam area, affiliated with the Giza Diocese, under the pretext of praying, carrying a bottle of gasoline hidden inside a bag."

The church statement added: "He destroyed the lecterns and burned the carpets. The fire was brought under control, there were no casualties, and the perpetrator was arrested. Security authorities rushed to the church to determine the causes of the incident, and the perpetrator is currently being interrogated to uncover the motives."

Muslims and Christians live in harmony in Egypt, with the exception of individual incidents, as described by the authorities.