19 Copts killed in Egypt violence

Body count at a hospital in the Egyptian capital of Cairo shows that 19 Coptic Christian protesters have died after clashing with military forces.

The fatalities were caused on Sunday after the forces started firing live rounds at the protesters, who were rallying against the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), AFP reported.

The demonstrators’ major demand was that the military rulers rebuild a church in southern Egypt that was allegedly torched in October.

State television reported that at least three soldiers had also been killed and a further 30 injured during the violence.

Several Army vehicles were set on fire during the tension.

The Egyptian military claims that the protesters were armed with deadly weapons.

The Coptic Christian minority makes up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population.

At least 846 people were killed during Egypt’s February revolution, which led to the ouster of the country’s former dictator Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

The SCAF has refused to hold presidential election within six months of the revolution as it had promised. The military rulers are also yet to determine a clear timetable for transfer of power to a civilian government.

The Egyptians have, meanwhile, started taking to the streets again, saying the public needed to ‘reclaim the revolution.