Thousands protests in Egypt; ElBaradei under house arrest

RANIA CAIRO: Pro-democracy leader Mohamed ElBaradei was tonight placed under house arrest amid mounting opposition to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police in several cities in Egypt.
ElBaradei, Nobel peace laureate and former IAEA chief, was confined to his residence as unprecedented countrywide protests turned violent forcing police to fire rubber bullets, tear gas and use water cannons.

Egyptian state TV said 82-year-old Mubarak has ordered night curfew from 6 pm to 7 am in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez cities and that military will work along with the police to impose the restrictions.

On his part, Mubarak, who was reported to be in poor health, was conspicuous by his absence from the public eye as cries of change grew louder in the largest Arab state on the fourth-day of protests that has left seven people dead.

The escalation of protests for Mubarak's ouster came against the backdrop of widespread resentment over rising unemployment, food prices and corruption.

In an unprecedented crackdown, authorities cut Internet and cell-phone data services across the country in a bid to hamper protesters from organising mass rallies after Friday noon prayers as part of the biggest challenge to Mubarak who has ruled for nearly three decades.

Raising slogans against Mubarak, protesters shouted "out...out" as they marched with bodies of victims in Suez, where they ransacked the headquarters of ruling National Democratic Party.

In Cairo, protesters marched towards major squares setting off clashes with the police. Police armed with batons beat some of ElBaradei's supporters, who surrounded him to protect him, and fired rubber bullets into the crowd and used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters outside a mosque in Giza square in the Egyptian capital. Several journalists were also reported to have been roughed up.

Arabic TV channel Al Arabia reported that police penned 68-year-old ElBaradei, who returned to his homeland last night to lead the protests, in the protest area. A soaking wet ElBaradei was reported to have been trapped inside a mosque for nearly one hour.

Arabic channel Al Jazeera initially reported that ElBaradei was detained but later clarified that he was only not allowed to leave an area by the police.

Hundreds of riot police laid siege to the mosque, firing tear gas in the streets surrounding it so no one could leave. The tear gas canisters set several cars ablaze outside the mosque amid reports that several people fainted and suffered burns.

As the Egyptian capital descended into violent chaos, large groups of protesters gathered at at least six venues in the Egyptian capital which is home to about 18 million people.

ElBaradei, one of Mubarak's fiercest critics, claimed that Mubarak's regime was on its "last legs".