Cairo - The Muslim Brotherhood said on Wednesday that Egyptian security forces killed 30 people as they started clearing out a Cairo protest camp that has been demanding the reinstatement of deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
“30 deaths in #Rabaa thus far and counting,” said Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad on his Twitter page.
Egypt's health ministry said there have been no deaths so far in the crackdown.
At the biggest camp in north-east Cairo, security forces fired teargas as police helicopters circled above and army vehicles were stationed nearby.
The state news agency said security forces had started implementing a phased plan to disperse the protesters, which is almost certain to deepen political turmoil in Egypt.
More than 300 people have already died in political violence since the army overthrew Morsi on July 3, including dozens of his supporters killed by security forces in two separate earlier incidents.
Morsi became Egypt's first freely elected leader in June 2012 but failed to tackle deep economic malaise and worried many Egyptians with his apparent efforts to tighten Islamist rule. - Reuters