Eleven people were shot dead as supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood clashed with police across Egypt on Friday, defying an ever-widening state crackdown on the movement that ruled the country until six months ago.
Islamists opposed to the army's overthrow of president Mohamed Mursi in July have been holding daily demonstrations, even after the army-backed government declared his Brotherhood a terrorist group last week, increasing the penalties for dissent.
The government is using the new classification to detain hundreds of Brotherhood supporters. Thousands more, including top leaders of the group, have been in jail for months, arrested in the aftermath of the army takeover.
The crackdown has reduced the ability of the Brotherhood to mobilise protests. It has been relying on students to sustain momentum.
In the Cairo district of Nasr city, riot police in bulletproof vests fired teargas at protesters throwing fireworks and stones. Similar clashes erupted across the country, as has become commonplace after prayers each Friday.
The health ministry said three protesters were killed in districts in Cairo. A security source said they died from bullet wounds, though it was unclear if the police or armed civilians had shot them.
In an incident showing the deepening divisions since Mr Mursi was ousted, a man yelling insults at pro-Brotherhood demonstrators marching was shot dead by the protesters, a security source said.
A male protester and a woman were shot dead in the coastal city of Alexandriaand another demonstrator was shot dead by police in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia.
In the rural province of Fayoum, southwest of Cairo, three protesters died from bullet wounds, according to local health ministry official Medhat Shukri. The health ministry said 42 people were wounded nationwide.
Police arrested 122 Brotherhood members for possession of weapons, the interior ministry said in a statement. The Brotherhood says its supporters are unarmed. – (Reuters)