Dozens killed in Egyptian violence

Top Egyptian security
officials defended army and police
actions in clashes Monday in Cairo
that led to the deaths of more than 50
people, saying they were defending
the Republican Guard headquarters
against attackers.
Health Ministry official Khaled al-
Khatib said 51 died and 435 others
were wounded when Egyptian security
forces fought with supporters of
deposed President Mohamed Morsy
and the Muslim Brotherhood outside
the headquarters.
Witnesses said the military and police
fired as protesters took a break from
holding a vigil at the Republican Guard
headquarters to perform their dawn
prayers. Morsy was reportedly
detained in the building after his
arrest Wednesday.
But Interior Ministry spokesman Hani
Abdel-Latif and army spokesman Col.
Ahmed Mohammed Ali said security
forces were under attack. Ali said that
around 4 a.m. "an armed group"
used bombs, rocks and bullets to
attack the area and the people
safeguarding the headquarters
building.
Speaking to reporters, the officers said
it's the job of the security forces to
protect protesters. But, they said,
what unfolded was an assault and
they had to embark on defending the
institution.
Ali dismissed claims from the pro-
Morsy opposition, such as the killing
of children, and warned of "lying,"
"rumors," and "psychological
warfare." Video meant to support the
security forces' position was shown at
the news conference. They seemed to
show a few protesters who may have
had firearms, but the context of the
images is hard to discern.
The Freedom and Justice Party's
deputy chairman, Esam al Aryan, said
on the group's Facebook site that four
children were killed.
Zakaria: What needs to happen next in
Egypt
Speaking about the presence of
children before dawn, Ali asked what
kind of people would bring their
children to that location at such a
time.
"The Egyptian armed forces kills only
its enemies. It will never kill its own
children," Ali said.
Mirna El Helbawi, a witness who lives
on a street near the Republican Guard
headquarters, saw violence unfold in
the area but stressed no one had
been performing prayers at the time.
Security forces, she said, arrived at the
scene, apparently prompting pro-
Morsy people to beat on street lamps
and shout, "They're here. They're
here."
Soldiers approaching a nearby
mosque tore down stone barricades
erected by pro-Morsy groups and
fired tear gas. Pro-Morsy protesters,
atop the mosque, threw rocks and
fired shots. She said she saw one
security forces member go down and
then be taken away by his comrades.
While she heard shotgun bursts, El
Helbawi said she is not sure which
group initiated the shooting. But she
said she is sure both groups were
shooting at each other.
She also saw fire inside the mosque, a
flame that died down and then flared
up. She saw an ambulance arrive to
get people out of the mosque and
about a half dozen bodies were
retrieved, she said. Several people
were arrested.
Amnesty International called Monday
for an urgent independent
investigation into the 51 deaths.
"There is a crucial need for
independent and impartial
investigations that can be trusted by
all sides. However, Egypt's authorities
have a poor track record of delivering
truth and justice for human rights
violations," said Hassiba Hadj
Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the
Middle East and North Africa
Programme, in a news release .