Sunday, March 03, 2013

Egypt Security Force Member Killed During Port Said Clashes

Egypt security force member killed during Port Said clashes

4:26pm EST

CAIRO (Reuters) - A member of Egypt's security forces was killed and hundreds of people wounded during clashes between protesters and police in the Suez Canal city of Port Said on Sunday, security and medical sources said.

Hundreds of people had been demonstrating in the city since the morning over the detention of dozens of prisoners in connection with a soccer riot that killed 70 people last year.

Police used teargas to disperse a crowd that had gathered in front of a local government office. Some 360 people were injured throughout the clashes, medical sources said.

Egypt's armed forces said in a statement on its Facebook page that a military officer was wounded when he was shot in the leg and that one soldier had been killed when he was shot in the neck by "unknown elements".

Egypt has been in political turmoil for the last two years since a popular uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

(Reporting by Yousri Mohamed and Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Jason Webb)

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