Armed Forces urge citizens to be cautious, collaborate

In a message on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Armed Forces spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Ali called on citizens to be cautious about unknown people on their rooftops.

Ali said that in light of recent attempts by armed individuals to launch attacks from rooftops, giving rooftop access to unfamiliar individuals can have dangerous repercussions.

He called on building owners to make rooftop entry points secure and have a full knowledge of the identities of individuals seeking rooftop access. He also asked citizens to report any irregular or suspicious action.

"The military institution calls on the great Egyptian people to collaborate with law implementing bodies from the army and police, if they need to respond using live rounds to criminal and armed individuals, by evicting the place so that forces can deal with the situation without jeopardizing their safety," the statement said.

On Wednesday, violence erupted in the Mohandiseen area when unidentified gunmen fired from a rooftop targeting a dual police and army checkpoint.

Meanwhile, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported Thursday on a statement from the Third Field Army in Suez, warning against any act of terrorism against the people of Suez and its state and military establishments.

The field army also urged citizens to collaborate with them to ensure stability in light of threats from armed groups and to respect a possible longer curfew if there are armed attacks in the city.

A state of emergency was declared in the aftermath of the forcible dispersal of two main Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins on August 14. The sit-ins demanded the reinstatement of President Mohamed Morsi who was deposed by the army on July 3 following popular calls for his resignation, and Morsi's supporters are calling for renewed protests on Friday.