Death toll mounts at Egypt's Defence Ministry
- 12 years ago
Projectiles fly through the air during deadly clashes near Egypt's defence ministry in Cairo.
Protesters demanding an end to military rule were attacked by unidentified groups.
The sit-in outside the defence ministry, which began on Friday, had been attacked on a number of occasions, but Wednesday saw the clashes intensify with at least 11 killed.
Over 160 people were also injured, reportedly from sticks, stones, batons and bullets.
One of the doctors at a makeshift field hospital described the dead and wounded he'd treated.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DOCTOR AT MAKESHIFT HOSPITAL, TAREK SAID:
"I've had 11 casualties. The fighting started after 12:00 or 1:00 in the morning and all of a sudden when we arrived we found critical injures. Four people came in with head injuries and they died instantly, and there were three other injuries which were very critical, they died on their way here. These are seven people that we are certain of."
The sit-in was originally started by supporters of conservative Islamist Hazem Salah Abou Ismael, who was recently barred from running in this month's presidential elections.
Since then, activists from several other groups have joined the demonstrators and united with them in their calls for an end to military rule.
Simon Hanna, Reuters.
Protesters demanding an end to military rule were attacked by unidentified groups.
The sit-in outside the defence ministry, which began on Friday, had been attacked on a number of occasions, but Wednesday saw the clashes intensify with at least 11 killed.
Over 160 people were also injured, reportedly from sticks, stones, batons and bullets.
One of the doctors at a makeshift field hospital described the dead and wounded he'd treated.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DOCTOR AT MAKESHIFT HOSPITAL, TAREK SAID:
"I've had 11 casualties. The fighting started after 12:00 or 1:00 in the morning and all of a sudden when we arrived we found critical injures. Four people came in with head injuries and they died instantly, and there were three other injuries which were very critical, they died on their way here. These are seven people that we are certain of."
The sit-in was originally started by supporters of conservative Islamist Hazem Salah Abou Ismael, who was recently barred from running in this month's presidential elections.
Since then, activists from several other groups have joined the demonstrators and united with them in their calls for an end to military rule.
Simon Hanna, Reuters.