CAIRO - Interior Minister Mansour el-Eissawi has told police to firmly counter acts of thuggery and attacks on police stations, a source said. Eissawi urged the police to use their guns to defend security centres, themselves and public utilities, in accordance with the law, the source was quoted by Al-Gomhuria daily as saying. Dozens of police stations were targeted during the popular revolt, that toppled the Mubarak regime in February, either out of revenge or to release prisoners. Thugs have attacked many police centres over the past weeks to let prisoners escape. Meanwhile, 60 prisoners have been re-arrested out of 88, who escaped from el-Sahel police station in northern Cairo, assistant Interior Minister Major General Mohamed Tolba told the official news agency MENA. Bullies and relatives of inmates broke into the police station several days ago, as the prisoners inside went amok. A battle ensued during which 88 of the prisoners managed to flee and one police officer received a bullet in his shoulder. Earlier this week, five prisoners escaped from el-Basateen police station prison, south of Cairo, employing the same means.
