You're reading: Five killed in clashes near Egypt’s Defence Ministry

CAIRO - Five people were killed and more than 100 hurt near Egypt's Defence Ministry when local residents, some armed with guns, attacked protesters demanding an end to army rule, the Health Ministry and a security source said.

Many of the demonstrators were supporters of a Salafi sheikh who was disqualified from the presidential election, drawing accusations that the ruling military council was trying to dictate the result in advance.

The assailants arrived around dawn on May 2 and fired on the crowd of about 600 protesters, the source said, and the two sides fought with sticks, stones and truncheons.