Two killed in Egypt protest clashes

A 52-year-old man has apparently been suffocated by tear gas during the protest clashes in Egypt.

Two people were killed in clashes on Friday between protesters and police in the Egyptian city of Fayoum, security officials said, in the latest Islamist demonstrations against the military-installed regime.

Supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi have pressed a protest campaign since his overthrow last July, despite an extensive crackdown that has killed more than 1,400 people and imprisoned thousands.

One of the two killed on Friday, a 52-year-old man, was suffocated by tear gas during the clashes in Fayoum province southwest of Cairo.

The other fatality was a woman, but the officials did not say how she died.

Protests are expected to continue as Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the ex-army chief who toppled Morsi, stands in a late May presidential election he is expected to win.

Sisi is widely backed by Egyptians who want a restoration of stability, but Morsi supporters consider him the mastermind of a coup against the country's first freely elected president.

Morsi's overthrow also unleashed a widening militant campaign that has killed about 500 people, mostly members of the security forces.


Share
1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP

Tags

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world