CAIRO (Update 5) - Egyptian Health Ministry officials say at least 24 people have been killed and more than 213 injured in fierce clashes between Christians and security forces. The clashes raising new concerns about Egypt's security and stability ahead of parliamentary elections. Thousands of protesters blocked the main street in front of Egypt's state television building and threw stones and bottles at soldiers and police on Sunday evening. Some cars were burnt. After the clashes, a curfew was imposed in downtown Cairo from 2 a.m. ( 0000 GMT) to 7 a.m. (0500 GMT), state TV said. The state TV said earlier that three soldiers were shot dead by protestors and more than 30 others were injured. "I arrived at the site at 6:30 in the evening. I saw many people gathered here to confront with soldiers and police," a protestor told Xinhua at the scene. "Then clashes occurred between soldiers and protestors. They used tear gas to disperse the crowds who threw stones and petrol bombs at them," said the protestor. The injured soldiers affirmed that the protestors used weapons to attack them while they didn't have any live ammunition or get any orders to shoot at the crowds. In a statement issued on his official Facebook page, Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf condemned the violence and urged Egyptians to keep united against attempts to create chaos. "The clashes currently taking place in front of the Maspero building are not between Muslims and Christians. Rather, they are attempts to provoke chaos in the country and stir sectarian clashes," Sharaf said. He called on Egyptians to stay united against "vandalizing forces." Sharaf called for calm and responsibility for the security of both citizens and the country. He would hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the situation.
