‘Seven killed in Egypt clashes’

At least seven people have been killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of Egyptâ„¢s President Mohamed Morsi, security and medical sources say.

Five people were killed on Sunday in towns south of the capital Cairo, one each in Beni Suef and Fayoum and three in Assiut.

Medical sources said two more people lost their lives during clashes outside the national headquarters of Muslim Brotherhood in a suburb of Cairo.

The clashes erupted when hundreds of protesters attacked the building, which was set on fire.

More than 600 people were also injured in Sunday clashes, Egyptâ„¢s Health Ministry said.

Sundayâ„¢s massive rallies come a year after Morsi was elected as Egypt’s first freely elected president following the 2011 revolution that toppled the Western-backed regime of Hosni Mubarak.

Å“It is the biggest protest in Egypt’s history,” a military source told AFP on condition of anonymity, noting that Å“millions” of people have packed the streets across Egypt.

In a televised address on June 26, Morsi said the polarization of the countryâ„¢s political life is Å“threatening to paralyze” Egypt.

He acknowledged that he had made some mistakes during his first year in office but called for national reconciliation, saying that he was open to cooperating with the opposition on constitutional reform.

On June 27, Egyptâ„¢s main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front (NSF), rejected the presidentâ„¢s offer.

The NSF claimed that Morsi had failed to take responsibility for the deep political polarization in the country and the failed economy.

Morsiâ„¢s supporters, however, say the president is cleansing Egyptian institutions of corruption but needs time to realize the ideals of the revolution.

MR/AS