Egypt protesters, army scuffle in Cairo

CAIRO (AFP) - Protesters pelted army soldiers with rocks on Friday near the defence ministry in the Egyptian capital, prompting troops to respond with water cannon, AFP correspondents reported.

Military police holding their shields in one hand, picked up the rocks from the ground and threw them back at the protesters, in the first violence of the day after peaceful rallies throughout the morning.

Soldiers charged forward and retreated several times from the barbed wire separating them from the protesters. A water cannon truck sprayed the protesters several times before pulling away.

Thousands of anti-military protesters took to the streets Friday in Cairo and Alexandria, days after deadly clashes near the defence ministry raised tensions ahead of landmark presidential elections.