Two protesters were shot dead with live ammunition in Alexandria on Friday as security forces dispersed a fresh round of pro-Morsi protests, while three policemen were injured in Cairo's Helwan district when protesters allegedly opened fire on their positions. The dead, 18 year-old Gomaa Abdallah and 21 year-old Hossam Magdi, were shot in the chest and abdomen respectively. In Helwan, two police captains and a conscript were injured when protesters allegedly "opened fire" towards the officers, according to a Ministry of Interior statement. The ministry said security forces were able to disperse the protesters, as "security agencies continue their efforts in determining the character and the perpetrators caught and the weapons used". Various reports surfaced indicating that the dispersal in Helwan was a fairly violent one. Photojournalist Amru Salahuddien said that four protesters were killed in Helwan, although some news agencies put the number as high as eight. Independent counts could not be verified, and the interior ministry did not mention protesters in its Helwan statement. The Ministry of Interior noted that 42 "Muslim Brotherhood terrorist elements" were arrested nationwide, with 27 in Alexandria, 7 in Cairo, 6 in Giza, and 2 in Fayoum. According to the statement, a number of protesters were caught with Molotov cocktails, knives, and a number of weapons. Clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi are common on Fridays, as post-prayer marches are dispersed by security forces.
