Police attack Egyptian protestors as military clamps down

Protesters clash with Egyptian riot police in Tahrir Square (Reuters)

Violence which has rocked Egypt ahead of next week's elections was spiralling out of control last night as troops attacked thousands of protesters camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square. At least 11 were reported killed.

In a confrontation that carried dark echoes of the last days of the Mubarak regime and provoked claims of state brutality, military police stormed into the iconic plaza, firing tear gas and rubber bullets, scattering demonstrators.

Officers rounded on isolated civilians, beating some of them with batons, while others torched the tents which had been erected by protesters planning a prolonged sit-in against the country's military rulers.

"I thought I was going to die," said Sahar Kamal, an IT company employee. The operation came after two days of the worst violence since the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak in February.

Last night i witnessed a group of unarmed male protesters, who had been cornered by troops, being beaten with batons and riot shields. When the troops moved away, six men lay prone on the roadside.