At least eleven people died and dozens were injured when plain clothed men, thought to be local residents, attacked protesters camping outside the Defence Ministry in Abbasiya, Cairo, early Wednesday morning, according to an official Health Ministry source speaking on Egyptian state TV.
Tahrir Doctors released a statement early Wednesday confirming two dead during what they described as “the Wednesday massacre.” Both deaths were from live bullet wounds to the head, said the statement. Another man is in a critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. The number of deaths is believed to have at least doubled since the doctors' statement at around 4.30am. Eye witnesses from the local field hospital estimated 8 deaths.
At least four demonstrators suffered birdshot wounds to the eyes and twenty received other facial injuries. The statement added that this was just a preliminary estimate.
The doctors condemned the closure of several nearby hospitals including Demerdash, Ain Shams and Al-Hussein. The only hospital to receive the injured was Al-Shefa, which was besieged by “thugs” who kidnapped the injured and attacked ambulance personnel.
The four-day sit-in outside the Defence Ministry was triggered by anger at the disqualification of Salafist Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail from the presidential race and has turned into a protest against military rule.
The assailants attacked the protesters in the early hours of Wednesday with cement-based bombs, stones, Molotov cocktails, birdshot guns and teargas canisters according to eyewitness reports.
This is the second major attack on the protesters in less than 72 hours. An attack on Saturday reportedly left one protester dead and tens injured.
Tahrir Doctors is a group of medical doctors who voluntarily aid those injured at protests.
