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CAIRO Protesters hurled stones and firebombs at police near the Algerian embassy in Cairo on Friday, wounding 11 officers as anger mounted over attacks on Egyptians after the countries World Cup qualifier.
The interior ministry said 35 people, including at least 11 police, were hurt and 15 cars were damaged in the violence.
The protest started on Thursday night on a street leading to the embassy, where riot police repeatedly turned back an angry crowd.
The several hundred demonstrators chanted anti-Algerian slogans and sang their national anthem, burning Algerian flags.
We should treat Algeria like any country that has declared war on us, said Amr Higazi, a university student holding a placard calling for the expulsion of the Algerian ambassador.
On Friday afternoon, riot police blocked access to the street that led to the embassy, located in the affluent neighbourhood of Zamalek, and herded away about 30 protestors, some of whom trampled on and burned Algerian flags.
Glass from store fronts smashed in the early morning violence covered a nearby pavement.
The demonstrators were enraged by reports of attacks against Egyptian fans in Khartoum on Wednesday after a World Cup qualification decider with Algeria, and demanded the expulsion of the Algerian ambassador.
Egyptian fans told AFP that stones were thrown at their bus as they made their way back to Khartoum airport after the 1-0 defeat, which followed a 2-0 victory for the Pharoahs in Cairo on Saturday that led to the play-off.
Egypts Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali said 21 Egyptians were lightly wounded in the attacks, a number disputed by Sudanese police, which said four Egyptians were wounded.
Sudan summoned Egypts envoy in Khartoum to protest Egyptian media reports of security lapses in Khartoum that allowed Algerians to attack Egyptian fans.
Egypt recalled its ambassador from Algeria on Thursday for consultations and summoned the Algerian envoy in Cairo to protest the attacks.
It was the second summons in a week for Ambassador Abdelkader Hadjar, who was called to the foreign ministry last week after Algerian fans attacked Egyptian businesses and homes in Algiers.
Before the match in Cairo, several Algerian footballers were hurt after the team bus was stoned on the way from the airport to the team hotel. Buses carrying Algerian fans were stoned after the game in Cairo.
World football governing body FIFA said on Thursday it had begun disciplinary proceedings against the Egyptian Football Association over the attack on the Algerian team, which Egyptian security officials insisted was staged by the Algerians.
People took to the streets in Algiers after the match in Cairo, attacking 15 offices belonging to a local subsidiary of Egypts Orascom Telecom and twice ransacking the Algiers offices of Egypt Air.
The attacks prompted Orascom to pull out 25 Egyptian employees and their families.
Arab League chief Amr Mussa on Friday called for calm in the row between Algeria and Egypt.
I call for a return to calm and reason on the Arab street. The affair must be restored to its true proportions, after all the Egyptians like the Algerians are Arabs, Mussa, in Dubai for a forum organised by the World Economic Conference, told AFP. -AFP
