Egyptians stage rival rallies in support of army, ousted Morsi

CAIRO, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian squares received Friday mass demonstrations, with some being held in support of the army's "war against terrorism," while others staged by Islamists who back the toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Throngs of Egyptians headed to downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square, around the presidential palace in Heliopolis as well as central squares in Alexandria, Gharbiya, Suez and other governorates in response to the call of military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Egyptians to authorize the army and police to combat violence and terrorism.

Meanwhile, loyalists of the deposed president rallied in Nasr City's Rabia al-Adawiya square, Giza's Nahda square near Cairo University and in some other governorates with a number of veiled female protesters symbolically carrying shrouds to show their willingness to sacrifice for the legitimacy of ousted Morsi.

SPORADIC CLASHES

Clashes erupted in Cairo's Shubra district between supporters and opponents of Morsi, leaving 10 people injured, with some of them suffering gunshot wounds.

Elsewhere in the Nile Delta governorates of Gharbiya and Damietta, clashes between both sides injured at least 18.

In Alexandria, fears of anticipated confrontations have been raised as Morsi's sympathizers occupied the Kaed Ibrahim square, where the army's supporters were rallying. The two sides exchanged rival yells such as "Oh Sisi, we authorize you to combat terrorism," and "Oh Sisi, leave, Morsi is my president." MORSI DETENTION

Earlier in the day, Egypt's prosecution ordered to put Morsi in custody for 15 days over spying and jailbreak charges, a move that is harshly slammed by his Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement.

Morsi is now accused of spying for the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement, attacking police institutions, breaking into prisons and setting fire to Wadi Natrun jail, where he was held during the turmoil in early 2011.

In a prompt response to the detention decision, deputy head of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the MB group, Essam al-Erian said on his social network website page that " Reactions of the decision will be seen in peaceful demonstrations of millions of people."

"Morsi is a legitimate president with immunity, he can't be tried without constitutional measures," said al-Erian.

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