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Egypt junta rejects cabinet resignation

22 November 2011 02:03 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Egyptian military council has rejected the governmentâ€™s resignation, as clashes between security forces and protesters continue to intensify, APA reports quoting Press TV.

The cabinetâ€™s resignation on Monday comes as the number of protester deaths is on the rise, the Associated Press reported.

The latest development also follows the resignation of the countryâ€™s Culture Minister Emad Abu Ghazi earlier in the day.

The countryâ€™s Health Ministry says that at least 24 protesters have been killed, while another 1,830 have been injured over the past three days. Medical sources earlier put the death toll at 35.

Egyptian diplomats have called for an immediate end to attacks against peaceful protesters, while activists say the military junta is carrying out the same actions as the previous regime of ousted Hosni Mubarak.

Egyptian police have been firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters in the iconic square over the past days.

Protesters have also censured the chairman of the council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, for his reluctance to implement sweeping change and dismantle elements of the former regime.

Demonstrators call for an end to the military councilâ€™s rule and want the military to go back to their barracks and hand over power to a civilian government.

At least 846 people were killed during the uprising in Egypt, which led to the eventual fall of Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011.