A man was shot dead in overnight clashes north of Cairo between supporters and opponents of Egypt's Islamist government, security sources said, raising tensions ahead of big opposition rallies planned next Sunday.
A second man, also an Islamist supporter, died of gunshot wounds sustained in clashes south of the capital some days before and rival parties traded blame for the violence. The ruling Muslim Brotherhood described both dead men as "martyrs".
Highlighting mutual mistrust as Egypt struggles to establish democratic institutions after its 2011 revolution, the Brotherhood also denounced as a "political trial" a court judgment on Sunday that called for an investigation of its role in a mass jail-break during the uprising against Hosni Mubarak, reports Reuters.
The once banned Brotherhood, whose Mohamed Mursi became president a year ago during a series of electoral triumphs that gave the well disciplined movement control of the executive and legislature, sees many in the judiciary as loyal to its foes.
It has criticised a campaigning coalition of disparate, secular opposition groups which hopes to force him to resign by putting millions on the streets on June 30 as an attack on the legitimate government, but says peaceful protests can go ahead.
Liberals and secular activists in the "Tamarud - Rebel!" campaign, accuse Islamists of intimidation. They say they have gathered 15 million signatures on a petition calling for Mursi to resign - more than the 13 million votes that elected him.
The Brotherhood and its Islamist allies staged a massive rally in support of Mursi in Cairo on Friday, at which some speakers warned of a violent response to efforts to remove him.
An opposition spokesman, Khaled Dawoud, said such rhetoric was fuelling the trouble in the streets.
