Member of Egypt's security force killed in clashes

Military officer shot in leg, one killed during riots between police, protestors in the Suez city of Port Said.

By REUTERS, JPOST.COM STAFF
Egypt Port Said ICONIC protestors, police, palace 370 (photo credit: Reuters/Mohamad Mohamed Abd El Ghany)
Egypt Port Said ICONIC protestors, police, palace 370
(photo credit: Reuters/Mohamad Mohamed Abd El Ghany)
A member of Egypt's security forces was killed and hundreds of people wounded during clashes between protesters and police in the Suez Canal city of Port Said on Sunday, security and medical sources said.
Hundreds of people had been demonstrating in the city since the morning over the detention of dozens of prisoners in connection with a soccer riot that killed 70 people last year.
Police used tear-gas to disperse a crowd that had gathered in front of a local government office. Some 360 people were injured throughout the clashes, medical sources said.
Egypt's armed forces said in a statement on its Facebook page that a military officer was wounded when he was shot in the leg and that one soldier had been killed when he was shot in the neck by "unknown elements".
Egypt has been in political turmoil for the last two years since a popular uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
The leader of Egypt's Constitution Party Mohamed ElBaradei commented on the escalating violence on Sunday, saying that Egypt's "inept regime" is unable to restore law and order.
Amidst continued riots between protestors and Egyptian security forces, ElBaradei called to revive the economy and initiate national reconciliation.
The opposition leader stated that the "decay of state authority" and "spiraling" violence has shown Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's administration is "inept," and "unable to restore law and order."