Cairo: The death toll from clashes between protesters and police as Egypt marked the fourth anniversary of its 2011 uprising has risen to 20, most of them Islamist demonstrators, officials said on Monday.
The clashes on Sunday in Cairo and the coastal city of Alexandria came after Islamists called for demonstrations against President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi’s government.
At least 19 protesters, mostly Islamist supporters of Mohammad Mursi, Egypt’s first freely elected president who was ousted by then army chief Al Sissi in July 2013, and a policeman were killed, a health ministry official said.
The Cairo violence accounted for all but one death, that of a demonstrator in Alexandria.
Late on Sunday, officials had put the death toll at 15, including the policeman who was shot dead during clashes in a northern Cairo district.
Tensions had surged ahead of the anniversary, and a female demonstrator was killed in clashes with police during a rare left-wing protest in Cairo on Saturday.
Shaima Al Sabbagh died of birdshot wounds when police fired to disperse a march, fellow protesters said.
An 18-year-old female protester was also killed on Friday in clashes in Alexandria.
Egypt has been gripped by political turmoil since the 2011 uprising that overthrew ex-strongman Hosni Mubarak, and by violent unrest since his successor Mursi was ousted.
Al Sissi has since led a crackdown on Mursi’s supporters that has left hundreds dead.
