Around a dozen people have been shot dead in Egypt as a state crackdown against the country’s Muslim Brotherhood widened on Friday. <br /><br />Cairo saw some of the worst violence as running battles broke out between police and the Islamist group’s supporters. <br /><br />Many others were injured in the clashes. <br /><br />The violence in Egypt has intensified in recent days after a government decision to declare the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. <br /><br />Fighting also spread to nearby Giza. <br /><br />There were ugly scenes as police attempted to break up demonstrators, a now all-too-familiar picture on Fridays after midday prayers. <br /><br />The latest turmoil in Egypt comes less than two weeks before the country goes to the polls to vote on a new constitution. <br /><br />In the coastal city of Alexandria, security sources said one male protester and a woman were shot dead. It was not clear if the woman was a protester or simply an onlooker. <br /><br />The country’s current military rulers insist this month’s constitutional referendum will pave the way for a return to democratic rule later this year, despite giving more powers to the army.
