18 dead in Egypt clan clashes

At least 18 people have been killed in tribal clashes in Egypt early today, security officials have confirmed. The clashes have prompted police to send reinforcements to quell the unrest.

The fighting between the Bani Hilal tribesmen and Nubian villagers in the southern province of Aswan was ongoing and the death toll is expected to rise, officials said.

On 3 April, the rival sides attended a reconciliation meeting aimed at ending long-standing disputes, but an argument broke out and became a firefight that killed three tribesmen.

Tribal vendettas are common in the rural and poor south, but this week’s violence is the worst in recent times.

Police began to reassert themselves across the country only recently, after a breakdown in law and order following a 2011 uprising that overthrew strongman Hosni Mubarak.