Many hurt as stones, firebombs hurled near Algerian embassy in Cairo

Cairo:  More than three dozen people, including 10 policemen, were injured and  15 cars damaged after protesters hurled stones and firebombs near Algerian embassy in Cairo on Friday as anger mounted over attacks on Egyptians after the countries' World Cup qualifier.

The protest started on Thursday night close to the embassy.

The several hundred demonstrators chanted anti-Algerian slogans. Algerian flags were also burnt.

On Friday afternoon, riot police blocked access to the street leading to the embassy.

The protesters were enraged by reports of attacks against Egyptian fans in Khartoum on Wednesday after a World Cup qualification decider with Algeria, and demanded the expulsion of the Algerian ambassador.

Sudan summoned Egypt's envoy in Khartoum to protest Egyptian media reports of security lapses in Khartoum.

Egypt recalled its ambassador from Algeria on Thursday for consultations and summoned the Algerian envoy in Cairo to protest the attacks.

Egypt president's son speaks on row

Meanwhile,  Egyptian president's elder son called for a tough stand amid the escalating diplomatic row.

President Hosni Mubarak's low-profile son Alaa made an unusual statement, saying Egypt should "take a stance" and respond to the "terror, hostility" and mistreatment of Egyptians by the Algerians.

Speaking on an Egyptian satellite TV station, businessman Alaa Mubarak - who unlike his politically prominent younger brother Gamal rarely speaks publicly - said the tensions reveal Algeria's "grudge and ill-will" toward Egypt.

"It is impossible that we as Egyptians take this, we have to stand up and say 'enough,"' said Alaa, who had traveled to Khartoum for Wednesday's game. "There should be a stance, we have had enough."

"When you insult my dignity ... I will beat you on the head," added the younger Mubarak.

Algeria had won Wednesday's match, played in Sudanese capital Khartoum, with 1-0 to advance to the 2010 World Cup. The game was a playoff after Egypt won on Saturday in Cairo 2-0. It was Algeria's first World Cup ticket since 1986.

Tensions first erupted when Egyptian fans pelted a bus with Algerian players after their arrival in Cairo ahead of Saturday's game. Three players were injured and two of them played that match with head bandages. Afterward, 32 people were injured in clashes between Egyptian and Algerian fans, and offices of Egyptian companies in Algeria were ransacked.

Following Algeria's win in Khartoum on Wednesday, Egyptian fans were attacked in the Sudanese capital.

On Thursday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry summoned Algeria's ambassador in Cairo to express "extreme dismay" over the attacks. Egypt's ambassador in Algiers, Abdul-Aziz Seif al-Nasr, was instructed to return to Egypt for consultations, a ministry statement said.

More demonstrations were expected in Cairo later Friday.