Tahrir clashes on Saturday 19 November (Photo:AP)
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior says that a number of its security personnel were injured in Saturday’s clashes with demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, including one soldier who was shot by protesters. Demonstrators had been staging protests against Egypt’s ruling military council.
“Attacks on police forces [on Saturday] have surpassed mere stone-throwing and light weapons and now involve gunfire and Molotov cocktails,” the ministry stated on its official Facebook page Sunday afternoon. It also stated that 59 police soldiers, 21 officers, and five other ministry personnel had been injured during Saturday’s clashes between protesters and security forces.
The ministry went on to warn that any attacks on police establishments would be “handled decisively.”
The forceful dispersal of dozens of Tahrir Square protesters by security forces on Saturday morning led to an escalation of clashes after thousands of additional demonstrators began flocking to the square. Clashes continued to rock the square for the second day on Sunday as thousands more protesters joined the ongoing demonstration. A massive attack by the army and police early Sunday evening was repeled by thousands of protesters.
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