Three dead in rural Egypt over woman's Facebook picture

Three people have been shot to death in a southern Egyptian village in dispute between two families, after a picture of a local woman was posted on Facebook.

The men were killed in a shootout this week between the families in the southern village of Faw Bahari, Qina province, police said.

"An argument broke out between the families a few months ago on social media after a picture of a woman was put on Facebook," police told local media.

"We have arrested one suspect in possession of a machine gun, however, the other suspects managed to escape."

In Egypt's deeply conservative and tribal southern provinces, posting images of women on social media accounts is socially taboo, which can bring "shame" on a family.

Vendetta killings often take place in southern Egypt, where perceived violations of honour and pride often spark violence.

Heavily armed clans often engage in family feuds that can last years.

This month, a mob in southern Egypt stabbed a Coptic Christian man to death following a dispute, stoking anger among Christians amid a spike in assaults on their community.