Street battles continue in several Egyptian governorates following president`s ouster by military; dozens of pro-Morsi demonstrators arrested by security forces.
Violent clashes reignited on Saturday afternoon between opponents and supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi – ousted earlier this week by the military – in several provincial towns outside Cairo.
Street battles erupted between rival factions in the Upper Egyptian city of Luxor and the Nile Delta city of Damanhour, where gunfire has been reported, according to Al-Ahram`s Arabic-language news website.
In Upper Egypt`s Sohag, meanwhile, security forces – in coordination with the army – arrested twenty pro-Morsi demonstrators and Muslim Brotherhood members.
Those arrested were allegedly involved in clashes outside the local governor`s office that continued until dawn, during which protesters reportedly attempted to storm the building.
Dozens of others were taken into custody after street fighting in Assiut, Kafr Al-Sheikh and Damanhour.
The men were accused of assaulting police and army personnel, inciting violence and illegal possession of firearms.
At least thirty people were killed and more than 1,100 injured Egypt-wide on Friday, as Islamists opposed to president Morsi`s Wednesday ouster by the military took to the streets in the hundreds of thousands to voice fury at what they see as an illegal military coup.
Five police officers were shot down in separate incidents in the North Sinai town of Al-Arish.
Morsi was deposed by Egypt`s armed forces on Wednesday following millions-strong protests on 30 June – which marked the end of the president`s first year in office – to demand his ouster.
His departure was welcomed by anti-Morsi demonstrators who had demanded snap presidential polls, but infuriated Morsi`s supporters who view the military intervention as a coup against democratic legitimacy.
Morsi was elected president one year ago in Egypt`s first-ever free presidential poll.
The head of Egypt`s High Constitutional Court was sworn in on Thursday as caretaker president.
[This article originally appeared on Ahram Online.]