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RPGs fired at police station in Egypt

Hours after Egyptian police shot dead an anti-government activist, protesters have retaliated by firing three rockets, but there are no reports on any casualties, security officials said.

The first rocket, which was fired at a police station in the northern Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid, missed its target and hit a nearby medical center, officials said.

The second rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) landed in an empty space, while the third hit a police station three kilometers (two miles) from the town, setting it on fire. The checkpoint had been evacuated earlier in the day.

No casualty has been reported from the rocket attacks.

With two new deaths on Thursday, the third day of the ongoing violence, the death toll has reached seven, AFP reported.

The anti-government protesters nationwide are demanding democracy, the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak who has ruled the country for some 30 years, and more employment opportunities.

The protesters in the Sinai were Bedouin, some of whom are heavily armed, and complain of government discrimination.

Clashes broke out in Sheikh Zuwaid earlier Thursday after witnesses and relatives said a youth died when he was shot in the head by police.

New protests continued to pop up across the country, with the most recent reported late Thursday on Haram Street, one of Cairo’s main avenues.

It was the first time there had been protests in this area, one of Cairo’s poorer neighborhoods. Security forces tried to rush to the area, but were confounded in their attempts as the protesters moved to block traffic.

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