Egyptians hold rallies, dozens arrested

Supporters of Egypt’s ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, have once again taken to the streets across the North African state as the government crackdown on dissent intensifies.

Reports say anti-government protest rallies were held in the Egyptian capital Cairo as well as a number of other cities on Friday.

The demonstrations are part of nationwide rallies initially called by Salafist groups.

Egypt’s blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood has backed the call, urging its supporters to take part in the demonstrations.

Ahead of the protests, Egyptian police arrested more than 100 alleged Muslim Brotherhood members on suspicion of planning violent rallies after Friday Prayers.

Meanwhile, government officials say a senior Egyptian army officer was killed and two others wounded during an attack by unidentified assailants in Cairo on Friday.

Egyptian security forces have already been deployed in key spots around the country.

Earlier, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim warned that security forces will use all means to counter what he called incitements.

Ibrahim added that soldiers have been authorized to use lethal force to counter any assault against public property.

The Egyptian government has so far jailed more than 15,000 supporters of Morsi ever since the army ousted him in July 2013.

Morsi still awaits several trials which, if found guilty, may carry the death penalty.

Human rights groups say about 1,400 people have been killed, 22,000 arrested, and some 200 people handed death sentences in the turmoil since Morsi’s ouster, which was led by the current president and former head of the armed forces, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.