Egypt mulls Muslim Brotherhood ban following Cairo mosque clashes

Egypt is considering disbanding the Muslim Brotherhood after security forces stormed a Cairo mosque where hundreds of Islamist supporters of the ousted president Mohammed Morsi were barricaded inside, a government spokesman said.

Egyptian security forces stormed the mosque after firing tear gas at hundreds of Morsi's supporters.

According to Fox News, security forces rounded up pro-Morsi protesters inside al-Fatah mosque, located in Cairo's central Ramses Square.

Footages of the mosque showed that security forces in armored personnel carriers surrounded the mosque and appeared to be firing automatic weapons from their vehicles.

Security officials said officers raided the mosque amid fears the Muslim Brotherhood again planned to set up a sit-in similar to those broken up Wednesday in assaults that killed hundreds of people.

According to the report, Cabinet spokesman Sheriff Shawki said Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who leads the military-backed government, assigned the Ministry of Social Solidarity to study the legal possibilities of dissolving the Muslim Brotherhood.

Such a ban, which authorities said is because of the group's use of violence, would be a repeat to the historic and decades-long power struggle between the state and the Brotherhood, the report added.