Al Salloum, Egypt: Angry locals on Saturday torched police vehicles in the border town of Al Salloum, northwest of Cairo, in protest against the killing of a suspected smuggler, according to security officials.
Clashes erupted between residents of the town and the police in the town bordering Libya after news went round that police killed a 30-year-old man on suspicion of smuggling copper rods from Libya, they added. The clashes injured two people and left at least four security vehicles on fire, they said.
"The situation in Al Salloum is now under control after a security cordon was imposed around the town and additional troops were sent to the town," said the chief of the Matruh Security Directorate to which Al Salloum is affiliated.
Egypt has been recently gripped by tenions between the public and police. On Tuesday, more than 600 people were injured in violent clashes between police and angry protesters in Cairo.
Authorities blamed the clashes on loyalists of former president Hosni Mubarak topped in a popular uprising earlier this year.
