Egypt's ruling Supreme Armed Forces Council said Thursday it has been closely monitoring attempts to sow sectarian tension among citizens, urging Egyptians to confront those plots.
On Tuesday, a priest was killed in the Upper Egyptian province of Assiut, fueling Coptic protests in Assiut and Cairo. Abanob Thabet, a pastor at Saint Mark church in Assiut, said the victim’s neighbors had told him that three or four criminals slaughtered him while chanting Islamist slogans.
Through its Facebook page, the military said it was taking all steps necessary to honor its promise of meeting the aspirations of the Egyptian people.
The military council assured it is "closely watching the situation at home, as well as the recently-evolving political terms, such as the 'counter-revolution'".
The army urged Egyptians to remain united in face of the attempts to engender conflict among them.
An earlier statement by the council stressed that the country is under its management, and that former president Hosni Mubarak’s palace remains closed. It also stressed that the presidential guards are part of the armed forces and that the military would not heed orders from any outsider.
A number of commentators had voiced fears that Mubarak’s regime is still in control despite the president’s resignation and relocation to Sharm el-Sheikh.
Elements affiliated with the previously-ruling National Democratic Party were suspected of leading a counter-revolution by fueling ongoing labor protests in several governorates.
