Updated

CAIRO-- An Egyptian military official says the army has quietly buried at least three soldiers killed during clashes with mostly Coptic Christian protesters.

The official says the soldiers' funerals were low-key to avoid heightening tensions in the country.
Egypt's state MENA news agency quotes the unnamed military official as saying the soldiers' burials took place Wednesday.

The military official says the army hasn't released the exact number of troops killed in Sunday's clashes to preserve troop morale. The rioting left at least 26 dead, mostly Christian protesters.

It was the worst violence since Hosni Mubarak's ouster in February. During the uprising, the military, intent on preserving its strong image, did not disclose its losses.