Three Morsi supporters shot dead in Cairo clashes

Three young protesters were shot dead in Cairo on Friday when security forces dispersed rallies staged by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, according to a source from Morsi's main support bloc.

Two young men, including one minor, were shot with live ammunition during the forcible dispersal of a weekly pro-Morsi rally in Cairo's northwestern Marg district, according to the source, who requested anonymity.

The two slain protesters sustained gunshot injuries to the abdomen and back respectively, the source added.

Another young man was shot with birdshot during the dispersal of a similar demonstration in eastern Cairo's Matariya district, the source said.

The three men are the first to die as a result of political violence since President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, widely regarded as the driving force behind Morsi's ouster one year ago, was sworn in less than two weeks ago.

The source said that Egyptian security forces had opened fire on demonstrators during the protest dispersal.

Another eight people were wounded across the capital as 53 people suspected of rioting were arrested nationwide.

While Interior Ministry officials could not be reached for comment, Egypt's security apparatus routinely denies reports that it used live fire to break up protests.

Legislation issued last November by former interim president Adly Mansour allows the security forces to forcibly disperse unauthorised demonstrations.

Morsi supporters staged weekly rallies across the country against al-Sisi, who was declared the winner of elections last month – with 97 percent of the vote – by Egypt's official electoral commission.

Since Morsi's ouster almost one year ago, more than 1,400 pro-Morsi demonstrators have been killed and at least 15,000 have been detained in an ongoing crackdown on dissent by Egypt's army-backed government.

The Brotherhood itself has been designated a "terrorist" group and on Thursday, a court sentenced Brotherhood chief Mohamed Badie and 13 others to death over violence that killed 10 people in Cairo last summer.