Nine Killed, Hundreds Wounded as Egypt Junta Moves Against Protesters

Eight Members of Advisory Council Resign in Protest

At least nine people were killed today and hundreds of others wounded when members of Egypt’s military junta clashed with protesters near Tahrir Square. Reports say the clashes began when the military began ousting protesters from the area around cabinet offices.

Among the killed was a top religious scholar in the country, Emad Effat. One of the incoming members of parliament Ziad el-Elaimy, was also beating by the troops.

With a number of the protesters suffering gunshot wounds, witnesses also say troops were throwing rocks off the top of one of the buildings at demonstrators below. Protests against the junta have centered around their refusal to cede power to the civilian government.

The killings sparked an immediate reaction from the civilian advisory council, with eight of its 30 members resigning in protest and the council itself announcing it is suspending operations over the treatment of protesters.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.