Deadly clashes pitting army troops and police against protesters rocked Cairo's political centre for a third day on Sunday, widening divisions over the military's handling of transition from Hosni Mubarak's rule. At least 10 people were killed in the violence that also destroyed a historic library housing priceless national archives.
Armed forces detained 164 people including minors, a military source said, as street battles raged outside parliament and government offices where protesters have been demanding an end to military rule.
The latest clashes erupted on Friday, overshadowing a vote count in a multi-stage parliamentary election, the first since Mubarak was ousted from power after three decades of rule.
Demonstrators hurled stones and pieces of metal over a concrete wall erected by troops on a wide avenue leading from Tahrir Square to the seat of government, AFP journalists reported. By afternoon, troops retreated and riot police faced off with the protesters, who used metal sheets as barricades.
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