In a dramatic appearance — his first since Morsi’s ouster — the supreme leader of the Muslim Brotherhood defiantly vowed the president would return. “God make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace,” Mohammed Badie proclaimed from a stage before a crowd of cheering supporters at a Cairo mosque. “We are his soldiers we defend him with our lives.”
Clashes between supporters and opponents of ousted president Mohammed Morsi reportedly have left 30 people dead across Egypt in a day that saw tens of thousands take to the streets to rally on both sides.
Emergency services official Amr Salama said 12 people died in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria when hundreds of Islamists descended on a rally by opponents of Morsi, opening fire with guns.
The state news agency MENA confirmed 12 dead in the city, bringing the nationwide toll to 30, AP reported.
In another development, an Interior Ministry spokesman said the deputy head of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, Khairat el-Shater, considered the most powerful man in the organization, has been arrested.
Spokesman Hani Abdel-Latif said el-Shater and his brother were arrested late Friday at an apartment in eastern Cairo on allegations of inciting violence against protesters in recent days.
Earlier Friday Egyptian troops reportedly opened fire on Morsi supporters outside Republican Guard headquarters near Cairo, where Morsi was believed held.
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