Egyptian Troops Train In Streets Of Suez

Egyptian troops chanted, marched and trained for unarmed combat in the streets of the Red Sea city of Suez at the mouth of the Suez Canal on Tuesday, images from Al Jazeera’s Egypt news channel satellite showed.

A day earlier, as the armed forces issued an ultimatum to the Islamist president and his opponents to resolve a political deadlock, rival factions exchanged fire in the city, witnesses said.

Security sources in Suez said that forces from the locally based Third Field Army strengthened their presence in the city overnight after the clashes. Armed vehicles were also sent on patrol, the sources told Reuters.

Egyptian officials have said security on the Suez Canal, the vital world waterway, had not been affected by unrest. Cities on the canal have seen major anti-government protests during and since the revolution of 2011.

Military sources said on Tuesday that troops were preparing to deploy on the streets of Cairo and other cities if necessary to prevent clashes between rival political factions.

Source: Reuters