As deadly clashes between government forces and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood continued in Egypt on Friday, a disturbing video has emerged that appeared to show the military firing on unarmed demonstrators.
The footage clocking in at just under a minute was uploaded to YouTube August 16. The caption written in Arabic read: 'The army shoots on peaceful protesters in Ismailia.'
Ismailia is a city in northeastern Egypt, where Reuters reported that four protesters were killed Friday during a 'Day of Rage.'
It has not been established if the four deaths confirmed in Ismailia are related to the events depicted in the video.
NBC News foreign correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin tweeted that the news agency Storyful had confirmed the video's authenticity.
A YouTube user by the moniker ahmedkhtr wrote in the comments section, apparently referring to one of the protesters who was allegedly shot in the video: 'He is my friend. His name is Ahmed Hachim one of the best guys ever he is a communication engineer, had a family son&daughter.’
The unsettling clip begins with a group of men numbering more than two dozen marching on four tanks positioned on a city street.
The demonstrators appear unarmed, many of them raising or waving their hands in the air. Two of participants are carrying an unfurled banner.
About 30 seconds into the video, rapid gunfire erupts, prompting some of the protesters to drop down to a crouch and others to flee.
As more shots are fired, most of the people abandon the street. One person, however, remains standing directly in front of a tank with his arms raised above his hand.
Just seconds later, the defiant protester wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt and a white hat appears to be struck by a bullet in his leg. He then falls down after apparently being shot again.
A young man in the foreground who witnessed the shooting grimaces and gesticulates in anguish before running away, while the alleged shooting victim is seen rolling over on the ground next to another man.
No comments:
Post a Comment