"Egyptian army fights Cairo squatters, 3 dead" Associated Press, November 19, 2012
CAIRO — Egyptian army troops fought a four-hour gun battle with
protesters in southern Cairo on Sunday, sparked by a dispute over land
on an island in the Nile, security officials said. Three protesters were
killed.
The officials said the disputed plot of land on Qursayah island is
owned by the armed forces but was illegally seized by residents taking
advantage of the chaos that followed last year’s ouster of Hosni
Mubarak, the president.
The clashes broke out when troops moved in from the mainland to
retake control of the plot. The officials say three civilians were
killed and seven others wounded in the firefight on a road on the
mainland across from the island. They spoke on condition of anonymity.
Troops arrested 15 protesters who had used metal barricades and
burning tires to block an access road to the island, the officials said.
Five soldiers were wounded by gunfire in the clashes, which took place
around a mile from the city center.
A statement published by Egypt’s official MENA news agency quoted a
military spokesman as saying the land was first seized after the fall of
Mubarak but retaken by the army soon thereafter.
About 60 civilians, mostly women, again took control of the land on
Friday but were evicted early on Sunday after efforts for a negotiated
settlement failed. The spokesman said the protesters opened fire first,
and gave a higher arrest figure: 25 protesters.
Sunday’s violence was the first known street battle involving the
army since President Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first civilian and freely
elected leader, took office.
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