CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- One thousand Christians were today trapped inside the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in West Ain Shams, Cairo, after more than twenty thousand Muslims attacked them with stones and butane gas cylinders. The Church's priest, Father Antonious, said the situation is "extremely dangerous."

Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org) says the Muslim mob that attacked the church blocked both sides of the street and encircled the church building, broke its doors and demolished its entire first floor.

In its report, AINA says the mob were chanting Jihad verses as well as slogans saying "we will demolish the church" and "We sacrifice our blood and souls, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Islam," while the entrapped Christians chanted "Lord have mercy."

According to AINA, the incident started on the occasion of the inauguration of the Church today, when the Muslims hastily established a Mosque in the early hours of this morning, by taking over the first floor of a newly-built building facing the Church and started praying there.

The AINA report says: "When the security forces tried to disperse the mob, they went to nearby homes and shops owned by Christians, and were armed with sticks, butane, knives and other sharp objects. Witnesses said the mob included children from as young as 8-years old to men of over 50-years old, in addition to women."

AINA said the Church building was originally a factory that was adapted into its present state. It took over five years to complete and to get the necessary permissions from the authorities to have a Church established.

Human rights organizations and lawyers were refused entry into the besieged Church, according to the AINA report.