Islamic militants on Monday ambushed two mini-buses carrying off-duty policemen in the northern region of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing 25 of them execution-style in a brazen daylight attack that deepens the turmoil roiling the country and underscores the volatility of the strategic region. 
 
 FILE - In this file photo taken Friday, Aug. 16, 2013, an Egyptian Army soldier takes his position on top of an armored vehicle while guarding an entrance to Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Israel is carefully... (Associated Press) 
 
 More than 300 Coptic Christians, including Fr. Younan William, left, gather in front of Saint Mary & Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church as local Coptic Christian Egyptians demonstrated in support... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this file photo taken Friday, Aug. 16, 2013, Egyptian Army soldiers stand guard outside the Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque, in the center of the largest protest camp of supporters of ousted President... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this file photo taken Friday, Aug. 16, 2013, Egyptian army soldiers take their positions on top and next to their armored vehicles while guarding an entrance of Tahrir square, in Cairo, Egypt.... (Associated Press) 
 
 The killings, which took place near the border town of Rafah, came a day after 36 detainees were killed in clashes with security forces. In all, nearly 1,000 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi since last Wednesday. 
 
 Tensions between the sides have been high since the army ousted Morsi in a July 3 coup, following days of protests by millions of Egyptians demanding the Islamist president leave and accusing him of abusing his powers. 
 
 But Morsi's supporters have fought back, staging demonstrations demanding that he be reinstated and denouncing the military coup. 
 
 On Wednesday, the military raided two protest camps of Morsi's supporters in Cairo, killing hundreds of people and triggering the current wave of violence. 
 
 Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the country's military chief, said Sunday that the crackdown, followed by a state of emergency and a nighttime curfew imposed in Cairo and several other flashpoint provinces, is needed to protect the country from "civil war." El-Sissi has vowed the military would stand firm in the face of the rising violence but also called for the inclusion of Islamists in the post-Morsi political process. 
 
 Sinai, a strategic region bordering the Gaza Strip and Israel, has been witnessing almost daily attacks since Morsi's ouster _ leading many to link the militants there to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group from which Morsi hails. 
 
 Egyptian military and security forces have been engaged in a long-running battle against militants in the northern half of the peninsula. 
 
 Al-Qaida-linked fighters, some of whom consider Morsi's Brotherhood to be too moderate, and tribesmen have used the area for smuggling and other criminal activity for years and have on occasion fired rockets into Israel and staged cross-border attacks. A year ago, 16 Egyptian border guards, a branch of the army, were slain in Sinai near the borders with Gaza and Israel in a yet unresolved attack that is widely blamed on militants. 
 
 In Monday's attack, the militants forced the two vehicles to stop, ordered the policemen out and forced them to lie on the ground before shooting them, the officials said. The policemen were in civilian clothes, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which also left two policemen wounded. 
 
 The officials initially said the policemen were killed when the militants fired rocket-propelled grenades at the two minibuses. Such confusion over details in the immediate aftermath of attacks is common. Egyptian state television also reported that the men were killed execution-style. 
 
 The killings, which took place near the border town of Rafah, compound Egypt's woes a day after police fired tear gas to free a prison guard from rioting detainees, killing at least 36. 
 
 The deaths of the 36 and the 25 policemen take to nearly 1,000 the number of people killed in Egypt since Wednesday's simultaneous assaults on two sit-in protest camps by supporters of Morsi. 
 
 In the deaths Sunday of the prisoners captured during clashes the past couple of days in Cairo, officials said detainees in one of the trucks transporting them had rioted and managed to capture a police officer inside. The detainees were in a prison truck convoy of some 600 prisoners heading to Abu Zaabal prison in northern Egypt. 
 
 Security forces fired tear gas into the truck in efforts to free the badly beaten officer, the officials said, adding that the people killed died from suffocation. Those officials also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists. 
 
 However, the officials' version of event contradicted reports about the incident carried by state media. The official website of state television reported that the deaths took place after security forces clashed with militants near the prison and detainees came under fire while trying to escape. The official MENA state news agency also said the trucks came under attack from gunmen. 
 
 State media also said the people killed and the gunmen belonged to the Brotherhood. The officials who spoke to AP said some of the detainees belonged to the Brotherhood, while others didn't. The differences in the accounts could not be immediately reconciled. 
 
 The Brotherhood said in a statement that it blamed the military chief, el-Sissi, and Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim who is in charge of the police, for the attack Sunday. The group also called for an international inquiry into the deaths. 
 
 Along with the state of emergency imposed after Wednesday's crackdown on the pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo and ensuing street clashes across the country, the military-backed interim government has also begun taking harsher measures to cripple the Brotherhood. 
 
 Security forces arrested hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members early Sunday in raids on their homes in different cities, aimed at disrupting planned rallies to support Morsi. The Cabinet also held an emergency meeting to consider banning the group. 
 
 A possible ban _ which authorities say would be implemented over the group's use of violence _ would be a repeat of the decades-long struggle between the state and the Brotherhood. It also would drain the group's financial resources and allow for mass arrests of its members. That likely would diminish the chances of a negotiated solution to the crisis and push the group again underground. 
 
 The Brotherhood has shown no signs of backing down though. 
 
 Under the banner of an anti-coup alliance, the group held protests Sunday, though many appeared smaller in scale than others held in recent days. In the coastal city of Alexandria, protesters clashed with residents. In the southern city of Assiut, security forces fired tear gas to disperse hundreds rallying in front of a mosque. 
 
 "They think they can end the movement," said Muslim Brotherhood senior member Saad Emara. "The more killings, the more people join us." 
 
 However, the government blames Islamists for series of attacks on churches and police stations, increasing public anger against the group. 
 
 In his first public appearance since last Wednesday, el-Sissi spoke at length in an hour-long speech Sunday about the motives behind ousting Morsi. The general said the Islamist president exploited democracy to monopolize power. He again said the military's action "protected Egyptians from civil war," despite the ongoing violence on the streets. 
 
 "We will not stand by silently watching the destruction of the country and the people or the torching the nation and terrorizing the citizens," el-Sissi said in a speech aired on state television. "I am not threatening anyone ... If the goal is to destroy the country and the people, no!" 
 
 The general said that the military didn't seek power but instead "have the honor to protect the people's will _ which is much dearer (than) ruling Egypt." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writer Ashraf Sweilam contributed to this report from el-Arish, Egypt. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jeremy Bowen witnessed the shooting, and was also hit by shotgun pellets above the ear 
 
 Egyptian troops have opened fire on protesters marching in support of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, killing three and wounding dozens. 
 
 The shooting came as crowds moved to the Republican Guard headquarters, where Mr Morsi is believed to be held. 
 
 Later the Muslim Brotherhood's leader told supporters that protests would continue until Mr Morsi was reinstated. 
 
 The army, which removed Mr Morsi on Wednesday after days of unrest, denied shooting live rounds at demonstrators. 
 
 However the BBC's Jeremy Bowen at the scene says he saw soldiers fire on the protesters. 
 
 About 2,000 people had marched on the officers' club of the Republican Guard after passionate Friday Prayers at the nearby Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Aleem Maqbool reports on a tense stand-off between the army and Morsi supporters 
 
 As the crowd grew, got angrier and pushed forward, the troops opened fire - first into the air, then at the crowd, our correspondent reports. 
 
 One man fell to the ground with blood on his clothes, says our correspondent - who was himself lightly wounded in the head by shotgun pellets. 
 
 Three people were killed and 69 injured in the shooting, the head of Cairo's emergency services said. 
 
 By evening, tens of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters had massed outside Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque and filled nearby streets. 
 
 The Brotherhood's supreme leader, Mohammed Badie, told the crowd: "We shall stay in the squares until we bring President Morsi back to power." 
 
 Mr Badie also denied reports that he had been arrested earlier this week. Two other top Brotherhood figures Saad el-Katatni and Mohammed Bayoumi were released on Friday, the state-run Mena news agency reported. 
 
 Muslim Brotherhood crackdown Top Brotherhood figures Saad el-Katatni and Mohammed Bayoumi arrested this week but released on Friday 
 
 Dozens more figures are uncontactable, most with their phones switched off, says a spokesman 
 
 The group's television channel Misr25 has been taken off air, as have several other Islamist channels 
 
 More than 200 Brotherhood members - including influential figure Khairat el-Shater - are on a wanted list 
 
 More members have been forbidden from leaving Egypt, the groups says 
 
 Later supporters and opponents of Mr Morsi clashed in the capital's Tahrir Square. 
 
 The Tamarod [Rebel] movement - which organised recent anti-Morsi protests - had urged supporters to mobilise again to "protect the revolution". 
 
 Tamarod accuses Mr Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood - to which he belongs - of pursuing an Islamist agenda against the wishes of the majority, and of failing to tackle economic problems. 
 
 There were clashes in other parts of Egypt on Friday too. 
 
 In Qina in the south, troops opened fire on pro-Morsi activists trying to storm a security building. At least two people were injured. 
 
 Firing was also reported in Alexandria in the north, Egypt's second-largest city, and in the canal city of Ismailiya. 
 
 Ahead of Friday's protests, the army command said it would not take "arbitrary measures against any faction or political current" and would guarantee the right to protest, as long as demonstrations did not threaten national security. 
 
 "Peaceful protest and freedom of expression are rights guaranteed to everyone, which Egyptians have earned as one of the most important gains of their glorious revolution," it said. 
 
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 Image caption The Muslim Brotherhood has vowed to stay on the street 
 
 Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al-Haddad said the movement was refusing to co-operate with the new leadership and demanded the immediate release of those detained. 
 
 UK Foreign Secretary William Hague tweeted that he was "very concerned by reports of deaths in Cairo". 
 
 Mr Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, is in detention, as are some senior figures in the Brotherhood. Arrest warrants have been issued for some 300 others. 
 
 On Thursday the head of Egypt's constitutional court, Adly Mahmud Mansour, was sworn in as interim head of state, and he promised to hold elections soon. 
 
 On Friday Mr Mansour dissolved the upper house - or Shura Council - which had been dominated by Morsi supporters and had served as sole legislative body after the lower house was dissolved last year. 
 
 Mr Mansour also appointed a new intelligence chief, Mohamed Ahmed Farid. 
 
 Mr Morsi's removal followed several days of unrest in which dozens of people died. 
 
 Earlier on Friday, unidentified gunmen killed two Egyptian soldier in the northern Sinai town of Al-Arish. 
 
 The Sinai has seen a series of militant attacks over the past two years, and it is unclear whether the latest attacks are linked to the political upheaval. 
 
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 Q&A: Crisis explained ||||| CAIRO — Three top officials of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood will go on trial on Aug. 25, on charges of inciting members of their group to kill rioters in front of its headquarters during the upheaval that led to President Mohamed Morsi’s ouster on July 3, a Cairo court ruled on Sunday. 
 
 Although the authorities have detained dozens of Brotherhood members since Mr. Morsi’s fall from power, the case against the group’s spiritual leader, his deputy and another key figure is the first to be scheduled for trial. 
 
 The pending prosecutions are a new blow to the Brotherhood, which emerged as the country’s strongest political movement after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, but has seen all of its newfound power stripped away in a matter of weeks. 
 
 The scheduling of the trial will most likely further complicate intensive political and diplomatic efforts to persuade Mr. Morsi’s supporters to break up two large sit-ins in Cairo that they have committed to maintaining until he is restored to power. 
 
 Egypt’s new military-backed government has said it would not let the sit-ins continue indefinitely, but many fear that efforts to forcefully disperse the protesters would unleash new violence. Envoys from the European Union, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the United States have tried to help broker a solution. 
 
 The prosecutions could be an effort to put more pressure on the group to strike a deal to end the current crisis, said Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Doha Center. 
 
 The case concerns events during the final days of Mr. Morsi’s tenure, when hundreds of rioters — equipped with stones, Molotov cocktails and firearms — attacked the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters in Cairo and tried to burn those inside alive. 
 
 Police officers in the area during the attack did not intervene, and a few men inside the darkened building fired guns from the windows. Health officials said eight people were killed outside the building, and a video posted online showed one badly beaten man being dragged from the building. 
 
 Accused of incitement to murder in the case are the Brotherhood’s supreme guide, Mohamed Badie; his deputy, Khairat el-Shater; and another official, Mohamed Bayoumi. 
 
 Three other defendants in the case have been charged with murder and arms possession, and an additional 29 people have been accused of using force, terrifying residents and attacking a police officer, state news media reported. 
 
 Mr. Hamid said the prosecution represented an escalation of the military’s campaign against the Brotherhood. 
 
 “It reflects a real desire on the part of some in the organization to use this opportunity to destroy the Brotherhood,” he said. 
 
 Even under Mr. Mubarak, whose security services routinely detained and tortured Brotherhood members and other Islamists, the supreme guide was mostly left alone. 
 
 A serving supreme guide of the Brotherhood has not been arrested since 1981, before Mr. Mubarak came to power. 
 
 In a separate case, the prosecutor general ordered the detention of Mr. Morsi’s former chief of staff and his deputy for 15 days for investigation into charges that they incited the detention and torture of protesters by Brotherhood members in 2012. 
 
 Mr. Morsi, who has been detained in an undisclosed location since his ouster, is also under investigation for purported collaboration with the Islamist militant group Hamas and his escape from prison during the uprising that led to Mr. Mubarak’s ouster. 
 
 Also Sunday, authorities at Cairo airport denied entry to Tawakkul Karman, the Yemeni activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who had flown to Egypt to join a pro-Morsi sit-in, state news media reported. They did not give a reason for refusing entry to Ms. Karman, a member of Yemen’s largest Islamist party, who won the prize in 2011 for her role in the uprising that led to the fall of that country’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and who has recently spoken out against Mr. Morsi’s removal from power.
– Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohamed Morsi are fuming over the military's clampdown after Brotherhood leaders were arrested and Morsi detained. Arrest warrants are out for some 300 members of the group, the BBC reports. "What kind of national reconciliation starts with arresting people?" asks the son of a Brotherhood official, per the New York Times. "This is complete exclusion." But the army says it will allow a planned rally today: "Peaceful protest and freedom of expression are rights guaranteed to everyone, which Egyptians have earned as one of the most important gains of their glorious revolution," the army posted on Facebook. As protests have continued, so has violence. Morsi's hometown saw dozens hurt last night, Reuters reports, and the Sinai Peninsula was hit with rocket attacks by Islamist militants. A soldier was killed in the onslaught against police and military sites, though it's not certain the attacks were associated with Morsi's downfall, the BBC notes; Sinai is a frequent target of such violence.