Qataris held after Al Jazeera raid

File photo: Flickr.com

File photo: Flickr.com

Published Dec 12, 2013

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Cairo - Egyptian security forces raided an office of Qatar's Al Jazeera television channel late on Wednesday night and arrested 11 Qatari citizens, state newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

Four Qatari police officers were among those arrested, Al-Ahram said.

It was not immediately possible to verify that the offices raided were linked to the Qatari channel.

Al Jazeera's offices in Cairo have been closed since July 3, when they were raided by security forces hours after President Mohammed Morsi was toppled, although the channel, broadcast from Qatar, can still be seen in Egypt.

Al-Ahram quoted security officials saying that there were firearms inside the Al Jazeera office, in addition to cameras and audio equipment, which were seized, along with transmitters.

Cairo's relations with Qatar deteriorated after the Egyptian army deposed Islamist Morsi on July 3.

The Gulf emirate was a strong financial backer of Muslim Brotherhood rule and vehemently opposes the army's overthrow of Morsi and the ensuing bloody crackdown on his movement.

Reuters

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