Prominent Egyptian reform figure Mohamed ElBaradei urged the armed forces to immediately interfere in the clashes to protect citizens, following bloody battles on Wednesday between supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
The clashes claimed the lives of at least eight civilians, and injured hundreds.
In a statement issued on Thursday, ElBaradei said that the world has been watching the Egyptian regime's crimes against unarmed people.
ElBaradei said that hundreds of undercover security agents and mercenary gangs affiliated to the ruling party assailed tens of thousands of anti-Mubarak protesters with Molotov cocktails and melee weapons.
He voiced his astonishment with the army, saying that the army should have intervened. ElBaradei noted that the armed forces watched idly instead of protecting the people.
He concluded by calling upon the army to intervene immediately to stop the carnage, which he labeled as a violation of the freedom of conscience.
