Army in Egypt protest crackdown

An armed forces bus was burned out in the protests

Two people have been killed and at least 15 wounded during protests in Tahrir Square in the centre of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, doctors said.

The violence occurred overnight as the army tried to clear protesters calling for ex-President Hosni Mubarak and his family to be tried for corruption.

The injured suffered gunshot wounds but the army denies using live rounds.

Tahrir Square became the symbolic centre of protests that led to Mr Mubarak stepping down in February.

The army had maintained a generally neutral role in the earlier mass demonstrations.

But about 300 troops moved into the square at about 0300 local time (GMT) on Saturday to break up a camp in the centre.

Protesters say they were beaten with clubs and shots were fired.

An army spokesman told Reuters news agency that only blanks were used.

The military issued a statement blaming “outlaws” for rioting and violating a curfew but said no-one was hurt.

“The armed forces stress that they will not tolerate any acts of rioting or any act that harms the interest of the country and the people,” it said.

The protesters were demanding a number of measures, including the resignation of the man who has replaced Mr Mubarak as interim leader, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi.

“Tantawi is Mubarak and Mubarak is Tantawi,” they chanted.

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