Egyptians rally in support of the army following reported Morsi detainment

Called to the streets by the army, the largest crowds in more than two years of upheaval have filled Egypt’s major cities. Meanwhile, ousted President Mohammed Morsi has reportedly been placed under investigation. Hundreds of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square Friday in response to army chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's call for Egyptians to show their support for the military's crackdown on 'violence and terrorism.' Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood members were also present but in vastly smaller numbers. Sissi's call for support signalled a major stepping up of the military's confrontation with the Muslim Brotherhood movement. Demonstrations in Cairo remained mostly peaceful into the night, however five people were killed and two dozen injured in the city of Alexandria, officials said. Clashes have frequently broken out after dark during weeks of turmoil. Close to 200 people have died, many of them Brotherhood supporters. Morsi detained Meanwhile on Friday, a Cairo judge reportedly ordered Morsi to be detained for 15 days, according to the Egyptian state news agency MENA and the online edition of al-Ahram newspaper. Officials were investigating Morsi - who is backed by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood - for carrying out 'hostile acts' against Egypt during the popular uprising in early 2011, the al-Ahram newspaper reported. The uprising led to the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak. The allegations included conspiring with the Palestinian group Hamas 'to carry out anti-state acts, attacking police stations, army officers and storming prisons, setting fire to one prison and enabling inmates to flee, including himself, as well as premeditated killing of officers, soldiers, and prisoners,' according to MENA. Morsi would face further interrogation under the court order as part of a larger probe by the court, to determine how dozens of Muslim Brotherhood leaders broke out of jail in January 2011. The court order was the first indication of Morsi's whereabouts in more than 20 days. The military has been holding Morsi, without charge, at an undisclosed location since removing him from power on July 3. Morsi's disappearance from public has contributed to heightened tensions between his opponent and supporters. Morsi's followers are demanding his reinstatement as a democratically elected official. hc/mr (Reuters, AP, AFP)