An elderly woman was stripped naked and beaten by a crowd of men after her Christian son fell in love with a Muslim woman, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Minya and Abu Qir Was said.

An addition to parading the 70-year-old woman naked, the crowd of 300 men burned down seven houses belonging to Christians before police arrived at the scene.

The violence began around 8:00 p.m. on Friday, after rumors circulated about a Christian man was having an affair with a Muslim woman.

The mother of the man was stripped naked, beaten and dragged around the street for two hours.

The governor in Minya, Tarek Nasser, has denied the allegations, saying that a few children threw Molotov cocktails at homes and the women voluntarily ran out in the street without their clothes.

Nasser also said that the matter has since been resolved.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi vowed that all the criminals will be arrested. He also called the violence regrettable. So far, six people have been arrested.