Mosque standoff ends, more than 1,000 detained across Egypt

Police have reportedly cleared a Cairo mosque of anti-coup protesters who were barricaded inside, following a daylong siege punctuated by gunfire, tear gas volleys and mob attacks.

The Fateh mosque in Ramses Square was evacuated Saturday of protesters who had been trapped inside since violence flared in the square Friday evening. Those inside had refused to leave for fear of being attacked by what they described as "thugs" among the crowds waiting outside.

Egyptian government sources told Al Jazeera that 250 individuals who were in the mosque have been detained, accused of trying to storm Asbkia police station, near Ramses Square, and committing violent acts during protests yesterday.

Reports suggested that clerics from the Al Azhar religious institution had served as mediators between those inside and the police.

Crowds outside the mosque, which were opposed to the anti-coup protesters, had also been largely dispersed after a day of tension and violence. More than 1,000 people have been detained by security forces in the past 24 hours, Al Jazeera sources said.

Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna, reporting from Cairo, said that it was unclear where those who had been removed from the mosque had been taken by police.

"There have been various reports about what happened. Witnesses said some had been taken by the army beyond the crowds outside, some were taken into military or police custody. The police had said earlier that there were some inside they wanted to investigate for an attack on a building nearby."

PHOTOS: Gun battle at Fateh mosque

Earlier Saturday, security forces and gunmen traded fire after police stormed the mosque to remove hundreds of protesters, with gun battles breaking out amid the chaos. Hundreds of people inside initially refused to leave for fear of being attacked by crowds mingling with security forces outside.

The violence came a day after battles throughout Egypt left at least 173 people dead, according to health ministry officials.

During a news conference Saturday, Mostafa Hegazy, an adviser to Egypt's interim president, said Egypt is facing "war by the forces of extremism" and will confront it with "security measures within the framework of the law."

Police and military forces fired heavy bursts at the building after they were shot at from inside the mosque and from its minarets, according to the AFP news agency, which also reported that police dragged several men out of the building during the confusion. Those men were then confronted by angry neighborhood residents, who attacked them with sticks and iron bars.

A Muslim Brotherhood spokesman denied that supporters fired at police from the mosque's minarets, adding that police forces control both entrances to the towers.

Live updates from Cairo's Fateh mosque

Earlier, speaking to Al Jazeera by phone from inside, protester Omaima Halawa said there was shooting inside and outside the building. Cracks of automatic gunfire and screaming could be heard in the background as she spoke. Halawa said there were about 700 people inside, including women and children.

Another witness, Abdel Kouddos, told Al Jazeera: "There were scenes of heavy gunfire. Police and security forces began firing at the minarets. Shortly after that there was fire from inside the mosque. It was unclear who was doing the shooting."

Troubles were also reported in the second city Alexandria, where an office run by the Muslim Brotherhood was set ablaze.

Anti-coup protesters found refuge in the mosque after a "day of rage" protests, called by opponents of the country's military-led leadership, turned to bloodshed.

Reports said at least 95 people were killed in Ramses Square on Friday when security forces fired on marchers. The Fateh mosque was turned into a morgue and field hospital.

Friday's marches in Egypt were organized in response to police action Wednesday, when more than 600 people were killed and 4,000 injured after government forces moved to clear two Cairo encampments formed by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

Western allies, including the United States, have denounced the recent wave of killings, alarmed by the mayhem in a country which has a strategic peace treaty with Israel and operates the Suez Canal, a major artery of global trade.

Saudi Arabia, however, threw its weight behind the army-backed government on Friday, accusing its old foes in the Brotherhood of trying to destabilize Egypt.

Al Jazeera and news wires