Troops raid Tahrir Square as clashes move into day five

Cairo: Egyptian troops and riot police raided Cairo’s Tahrir Square early on Tuesday in their latest attempt to evict protestors who want the ruling military to immediately step down, according to a field hospital doctor. Ahmed Saad said a 15-year-old protestor was in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound in the attack. The troops and police initially succeeded in chasing the protestors out of the square, but they returned a short time later using a different route. The security forces pulled out of the square following clashes in which each side pelted the other with rocks. It was the second pre-dawn raid in as many days on the city’s central square. It comes as Egypt’s ruling generals are coming under mounting criticism at home and abroad over the excessive use of force by troops against unarmed protestors, including women, since the latest spate of violence broke out on Friday. At least 14 protestors have since been killed. [caption id=“attachment_160872” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”]  [/caption] The military took power after an 18-day uprising forced longtime autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak to step down in February. A member of the military council on Monday questioned the protestors’ motives and morals and spoke of a conspiracy to “topple the state” by parties he did not identify. He also lashed out at the media, saying it was fomenting sedition. Maj Gen Adel Emara also defended the use of force by troops, saying they had a duty to defend the state’s institutions. AP