Cairo: Pressure mounted on Egypt's ruling military to transfer power promptly to an elected president after clashes between anti-military demonstrators and unknown assailants yesterday left 12 people dead and dozens injured.
The clashes started when "thugs" attacked hundreds of protesters in a dawn raid, medical activists and witnesses said. People on nearby bridges and rooftops were seen hurling petrol bombs and firing birdshot at protesters, who responded by throwing stones.
The violence was the worst since February when 14 people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces near the interior ministry.
Blaming the violence on the ruling generals, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafist Al Nour party and several opposition politicians said they boycotted a meeting called by the governing Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to discuss a deadlock on the formation of a panel to craft a new constitution.
In an indication the military was caving in to pressure, Egypt's military chief of staff said yesterday that the army may transfer power sooner than promised.
"We are looking at handing over power on May 24 if the president wins in the first round," state television quoted chief of staff Sami Enan as saying.
The military had previously said it would transfer power by the end of June.
Several presidential contenders, including Abdul Moneim Abul Fotouh, Mohammad Mursi and Khalid Ali, said they were temporarily suspending their campaigns in protest against the violence.
Prominent reformist Mohammad Al Baradei criticised the military for the violence and accused it of incompetence. "The Military Council and the government are unable to provide security for the people," Al Baradei, a Nobel laureate, said on his Twitter account. "You must leave because Egypt is collapsing at your hands."
