CAIRO
A female Egyptian journalist was killed during a Friday protest staged by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in eastern Cairo, the slain journalist's employer said.
Mayada Ashraf, 22, was shot in the head when security forces dispersed a pro-Morsi protest in Cairo's Ain Shams district, sources with the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, Morsi's main support bloc, told Anadolu Agency.
Shortly afterward, Egyptian newspaper Al-Dostor and the Masr al-Arabia news website, both of which Ashraf had worked for, separately confirmed her death.
Masr al-Arabia reported that Ashraf had been killed when security forces dispersed the pro-Morsi protest using teargas, birdshot and "thugs" who fired live ammunition at demonstrators.
The Egyptian authorities have yet to comment on the incident.
Morsi supporters protested in several parts of Egypt on Friday against a Wednesday announcement by former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi that he planned to run for top office in upcoming polls, dates for which have yet to be set.
Al-Sisi is widely seen as the driving force behind Morsi's ouster by the army last summer.
In the nine months since Morsi's removal from office and subsequent imprisonment, his supporters have staged rallies on an almost daily basis to denounce what they describe as the July 3 "military coup" against Egypt's first freely elected president.
By Islam Mosaad
englishnews@aa.com.tr
