Egypt’s ruling military has declared an overnight curfew for a second successive night as relative calm returns to the capital Cairo after deadly clashes with protesters.
The curfew will be imposed between 2100 GMT on Saturday and 0400 GMT on Sunday in the Defense Ministry district of the capital Cairo, AFP reported.
On Friday, at least two people were killed and 300 others, including security forces, were injured in the area around the Defense Ministry building in clashes between Egyptian forces and protesters demonstrating against the ruling military council.
Tens of thousands of anti-junta demonstrators took to the streets in the northeastern seaport city of Suez to demand the ouster of the military rulers.
Over 300 people were arrested during the protest. The military has ordered some 180 of the detainees to be imprisoned for 15 days.
The demonstrations were called by the Muslim Brotherhood less than three weeks ahead of the country’s first presidential election since the ouster of long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak.
The Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) took power in the aftermath of the February 2011 revolution that toppled the Mubarak regime.
The Egyptian public accuses the ruling junta of following in Mubarak’s tracks by resorting to violence against popular protests.
——Agencies