Egypt crisis: Tanks deployed after fatal Cairo clashes
The Egyptian army has deployed tanks and armoured troop carriers outside the presidential palace in Cairo after clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi left five dead and 644 injured.
The BBC's Jon Leyne: "This would be the first time the army has intervened since the current trouble began"
But, despite their presence, there are reports of a fresh outbreak of stone-throwing between the two sides. Egypt is seeing growing unrest over a controversial draft constitution.
The government insists that a referendum will go ahead this month.
The head of Egypt's Republican Guard said the forces deployed outside the presidential palace on Thursday had been sent there to separate supporters and opponents of President Morsi.
General Mohamed Zaki called for calm, telling the state-run Middle East News Agency: "The armed forces, and at the forefront of them the Republican Guard, will not be used as a tool to oppress the demonstrators."
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says the clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt's new president are possibly the most dangerous development in Egypt's growing political crisis.
Our correspondent says the violence, which opposition leaders accused Mr Morsi's Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement of organising, was ominously reminiscent of the tactics used by former President Hosni Mubarak during the revolution. Supporters of Mr Morsi responded to a call to rally outside the presidential palace, in the suburb of Heliopolis, on Wednesday afternoon.
The mainly secular opponents of the president were already staging a sit-in protest there, after tens of thousands of them besieged the palace on Tuesday. Stones and petrol bombs were thrown and there were reports of gunfire as Morsi supporters dismantled some of the tents set up by their opponents.
The Brotherhood later called on all sides to "withdraw at the same time and pledge not to return there given the symbolism of the palace".
Disorder was also reported in other cities, with Muslim Brotherhood offices attacked in Ismailia and Suez
EGYPT'S MOUNTING CRISIS
Nov 22 President Morsi issues decree assuming sweeping new powers, dismisses prosecutor general
Nov 23 Protests against president's new powers begin, including a sit-in at Tahrir Square
Nov 30 Islamist-dominated constituent assembly adopts controversial draft constitution
Dec 1 Islamists rally in support of president's new powers after tens of thousands of Morsi opponents converge on Tahrir Square
Dec 2 Supreme Constitutional Court suspends work after being prevented by Morsi supporters from ruling on the legitimacy of the constituent assembly
Dec 2 Judges Club, representing judges across the country, announces it will not supervise referendum on draft constitution
Dec 5 Violent clashes outside presidential palace in Cairo
Advisers quit
Speaking on Wednesday, Vice-President Mahmoud Mekki said the vote on the draft constitution was still scheduled for 15 December, but that the "door for dialogue" remained open, indicating that changes could be made to the document later.
Critics say the draft was rushed through parliament without proper consultation and does not do enough to protect political and religious freedoms and the rights of women. The draft added to the anger generated by Mr Morsi passing a decree in late November which granted him wide-ranging new powers. Four of Mr Morsi's advisers resigned on Wednesday in an apparent protest. Three others did so last week and Egypt's Mena news agency reported a further resignation on Thursday.
Our correspondent says the government has been speaking for some time about the need for dialogue, but has offered few concrete concessions which would end the crisis.
Mr Morsi adopted sweeping new powers in a decree on 22 November, and stripped the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions. Mr Morsi, who narrowly won Egypt's first free presidential election in June, says he will give up his new powers once the new constitution is ratified.
VIDEO:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20622233
