Tribal fighting in Egypt’s Aswan kills 25

Clashes between an Arab clan and a Nubian family resumed Sunday in Egypt's southern province of Aswan, killing two people and wounding four, health officials said.

The bloody clashes began Friday when a group of students engaged in a fight after a man sexually accosted a woman from another family, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The Egyptian government said it has not made a decision yet on whether to impose curfew in a bid to halt the violence which has so far claimed 25 lives.

An Associated Press photographer on the scene reported that firefights broke out nearby, including outside the hospital and morgue.

Reconciliation efforts by government officials and local leaders which began last week failed to put an end to the bloody clashes between the Bani Hilal tribesmen and the Nubian Dabudiya family.

The deadly feud on Friday began after a fight between school students sparked clashes.

Police said the fight was over the harassment of a girl. Witnesses said offensive graffiti written on the school walls fueled the violence.

Egypt's Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab and his interior minister visited Aswan on Saturday to meet local leaders to end the dispute.

Security officials say members of the Arab clan are involved in arms and drugs smuggling and are well-armed.

Local leaders say police were mostly absent from the streets, causing the violence to spread. The governor appealed for the military to deploy troops in the area.

(With AP)