Islamists to protest raid on pro-Morsi stronghold in Egypt

Supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohamed Morsi today called for demonstrations after Friday prayers to protest a raid by security forces on the outskirts of Cairo to reassert government control over areas dominated by Islamists.

The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy, a grouping led by the Muslim Brotherhood, said the protests would continue for a week under the slogan 'Youth are pillar of the revolution' to mark the start of the new academic year.

Yesterday, security forces raided the Islamist bastion of Kerdasa to round up suspects accused of killing 11 policemen in the city last month. On August 14, 11 policemen were killed in an attack on a police station in Kerdasa.

A senior security officer was shot dead and at least 10 policemen injured during the raid. The Interior Ministry said the raid would flush terrorists from the area.

It was the second such raid by security forces this week.

On Monday, security forces rolled into Dalja in Upper Egypt's Minya governorate, which had been partially controlled by Islamist hardliners accused of burning churches and terrorising local Christians.

Egypt's interim government last week extended a state of emergency, in force since mid-August, by another two months amid continued political unrest.

Islamists have held regular protests since Morsi's ouster on July 3, but the numbers have sharply diminished in recent weeks amid a sustained clampdown by security forces.

Hundreds of people had been killed when police cleared two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo and Giza on 14 August, triggering wide-spread street violence.