Egypt protests: hundreds barricaded inside Cairo's Fateh mosque

Hundreds of supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi were trapped in Fateh mosque near Cairo's Ramses Square early Saturday, as military and police forces kept the area surrounded, even after it was reported that some of the soldiers had entered the mosque. But by 12 p.m. local time (6 a.m. EDT), a number of women were seen moving out of the mosque apparently being escorted by security forces.

The situation comes a day after more than 100 people were killed when security forces fired on pro-Morsi and anti-coup protesters staging a "day of rage" against the military-led government. 

Anti-Coup Alliance supporters have been holed up in the mosque since Friday night. One woman has reportedly been killed from tear gas inhalation.

Speaking to Al Jazeera by phone from inside the mosque, Omaima Halawa, a civilian, said there were about 700 people, including women and children, inside. Halawa said that they fear leaving the mosque because "there were thugs outside with the security forces."

Halawa said she feared what would happen to her or where she would be taken if she left the mosque.

LIVE UPDATES: Egypt in turmoil

The Egyptian army spokesman used his Facebook page to accuse armed men of shooting from the mosque at nearby buildings.

Undeterred by the bloodshed that has gripped Egypt since Wednesday -- leaving more than 600 people dead -- the Muslim Brotherhood has called for a week of protests across the country. The group has urged its supporters to return to the streets to denounce the overthrow of Morsi -- who was ousted in a military coup on July 3 -- and protest the subsequent crackdown against Morsi's supporters.

"Our rejection of the coup regime has become an Islamic, national and ethical obligation that we can never abandon," said the Brotherhood, which has accused Egypt's military of plotting Morsi's ouster last month to regain the levers of power.

Violence erupted across Egypt again on Friday after the Brotherhood and other groups, under the banner of the Anti-Coup Alliance, called for protests in defiance of a military crackdown on sit-in demonstrations that left hundreds dead on Wednesday.

At least 95 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in Cairo's Ramses Square as anti-coup protesters were fired on by government forces. 

Egyptian police arrested more than 1,000 alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood throughout the day, the interior ministry said in a statement, including 558 in Cairo alone.

An interim cabinet, installed by the army after it removed Morsi during rallies against his rule, has refused to back down in the face of the protests. It has authorized police to use live ammunition to defend themselves and state installations.

Bader Abdel Atty, a spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, defended the actions of the security forces in an interview with Al Jazeera Friday, saying that protesters were armed with machine guns.

"They are raising al-Qaeda flags in the heart of Cairo," he said. "They are using machine guns against civilians. And this cannot be described as far as I know as a peaceful demonstration."

The Egyptian president's office said Friday that it will hold a press conference -- open to all foreign press with or without accreditation -- at 3pm local time Saturday at the presidential palace in Cairo. The purpose of the event is to allow the president's office to "explain the situation." 

Abdel Atty dismissed international condemnation of the violence and said Egypt would accept no external interference.

Many Western allies, including the U.S., have condemned the killings, but Saudi Arabia threw its weight behind the Egyptian government on Friday, accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of trying to destabilize country.

MORE: Egypt burns, Obama critics smolder

A number of tour operators have suspended all travel to Egypt until at least next month and the U.S. has urged its citizens to leave the country.

The EU has asked its states to consider "appropriate measures" to take in reaction to the violence, while Germany said it was reconsidering its ties. 

Al Jazeera and wire services