adminThe Egyptian health ministry said at least 42 people had been killed and more than 300 injured in the incident early yesterday morning.
Egypt’s interim administration has expressed “deep regret” for those killed in violence in Cairo yesterday, it said in a statement carried on the state news agency.
The transitional administration also said it had formed a judicial committee to investigate the events.
The statement called on protesters not to approach any military or “other vital installations”.
Mohamed Mohamed Ibrahim El-Beltagy, a Brotherhood MP, described the incident during dawn prayers after police had stormed the site, as a “massacre”.
About 500 people were also reportedly injured.
A doctor told Al Jazeera that “the majority of injured had gunshot wounds to the head”.
The Brotherhood said the dead and the injured have been taken to a makeshift hospital in the the Nasr City neighbourhood.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Gehad Haddad, a spokesman for Muslim Brotherhood, said that at around 3.30 in the morning, army and police forces started firing at sit-in protesters in front of the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo.
“We have people hit in the head, we have bullets that exploded as they entered the body, cluttering organs and body parts” said Haddad.
“Every police force in the world understands how to disperse a sit-in. This is just a criminal activity targeting protesters.”
However, the military, which has set up checkpoints around Nasr City, said a “terrorist group” was responsible, adding that two officer had also been killed.
In a press conference held in Cairo on Monday, Hany Abdel Latif, Egypt’s interior ministry spokesman, said that “the Egyptian police is the force of the people. They are operating for all the Egyptian people, with all their affiliations.”
“The Egyptian security forces are working to safeguard the freedom of the Egyptian people following the January 2011 revolution,” said Abdel Latif, adding that the police and security apparatus will not protect any particular regime, not “the former, the existing, or the upcoming”.
“The Egyptian police is out of the political equation.
“It cannot be part of any political process in any way, shape or form,” said Abdel Latif.
Speaking at the same press conference, military spokesman Ahmed Ali blamed the violence on protesters who attacked the Republican Guard headquarters and defended the actions of the security forces, saying that the acted in self-defence against armed men attacking them from various locations, including rooftops.
Dozens have died and more than 1 000 people have been injured in street clashes between supporters and opponents of Morsi in the aftermath of the military coup on Wednesday.
Also yesterday, Egypt closed down the Cairo headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, saying weapons were found inside it. — Al Jazeera.
Online Reporter