After the violence, the grief for Egypt's Christians

(GETTY IMAGES)

Thousands of Egyptian Christians attended an emotional funeral service yesterday in Cairo for people killed in the worst Christian-Muslim violence since the former president, Hosni Mubarak, was deposed a month ago.

Six coffins lay by a church altar during the ceremony – just some of the victims of Tuesday's unrest, which left 13 people dead and 140 wounded. "We will sacrifice our souls and our blood for the cross," mourners chanted as they poured out of Samaan al-Kharraz Church. Some held aloft signs saying: "No to sectarianism, no to murder."

Thousands of Muslims and Christians clashed on Tuesday as members of the Coptic Orthodox faith protested about an arson attack on a church south of the capital. The strife is another challenge to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took over from Mr Mubarak and says it wants to hold elections within six months so it can relinquish power.