20 killed, Dozens Wounded as Attackers Raid Anti-Military Protests in Egypt

Local Editor

Sunday clashes between Abu Ismail and residents killed 1 person and injured 119 others

20 people were killed and dozens others wounded on Wednesday as attackers stormed an anti-military protest in the Egyptian capital, as a military source assured that the army will interfere to put an end to the conflict.

Witnesses said the attackers stormed the protest near the Defense Ministry at dawn using rocks, clubs, firebombs and firing shotguns, according to BBC.

On another hand, two presidential candidates Mohammad Mursi and Abdul Menem Abu Al-Futouh announced suspending their electoral campaigns in mourning for the victims.

The protesters, supporters of Salafi politician Hazem Abu Ismail, have been camped out since Saturday after the electoral commission barred him from contesting the upcoming presidential election.

On Sunday, one person was killed and 119 injured in clashes between Abu Ismail supporters and residents of the Abbassiya neighborhood in Cairo, where the defense ministry is located.

Protests since the popular uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak last year have often turned violent, with protesters blaming thugs working for the country's military leadership.

The electoral commission on April 14 barred 10 candidates, including the Muslim Brotherhood's Khairat El-Shater and the former president's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, from standing in the poll to choose Mubarak's successor.

Abu Ismail's nomination was rejected because his mother had taken joint US citizenship.

The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for May 23-24, and the interim military leadership has promised to hand power to an elected civilian president by the end of June.

ARMY DEPLOYMENT, SUSPENSION OF CAMPAIGNS

Following the attack, the army said it would deploy troops in central Cairo to quell the clashes.

"Troops will intervene to quell the clashes between protesters in Abbassiya", AFP quoted a military source said.

Meanwhile, two presidential candidates decided to temporarily suspend their campaigns.

The Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi told reporters he decided to suspend his campaign for 48 hours "in solidarity with the protesters".

His main rival, Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, cancelled all his events for the day over the clashes, a campaign official told AFP.

Source: Agencies

02-05-2012 - 12:18 Last updated 02-05-2012 - 16:22

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