A travel ban has placed on Morsi and his top allies in the government. Meanwhile, Morsi’s advisor is calling this a military coup and vowing it won’t end without bloodshed:
AL ARABIYA – A military coup is underway in Egypt and it will not succeed without bloodshed, a security advisor to President Mohammad Mursi said on Wednesday.
The unnamed advisor told Reuters he expects the army and police forces to use violence to remove pro-Mursi demonstrators.
AFP reported that Egyptian security forces imposed a travel ban on Mursi and several top Islamist allies over their involvement in a prison escape in 2011, security officials said.
Airport officials confirmed to AFP that they had received orders to prevent the leaders — including Mursi, Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie and his deputy Khairat al-Shater – from travelling abroad.
NBC News just issued a similar report:
An adviser to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said Wednesday that a military coup was underway, that tanks were on the move outside Cairo and that communication with the president had been cut off.
As a military deadline came and went for Morsi to step aside, the army took control of state television, and boisterous crowds opposed to the regime cheered and danced in Tahrir Square.
Representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood, which supports Morsi, also said that some of its leaders had been rounded up and arrested.
Earlier in the day, both the president and the military had sworn a fight to the death. The military leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said it would be an honor to die rather than subject the Egyptian people to threats or terror.
In something of a call to arms, the military posted on Facebook: “We swear to God to sacrifice with our blood for Egypt and its people against any terrorist, extremist or ignoramus. Long live Egypt and its proud people.”
The government said at least 16 people had been killed and about 200 injured in clashes with security forces at Cairo University.
Also worth noting, Morsi has disappeared:
#LATEST — We do not know where #Egypt President Mohammed Mursi is now, aide tells CNN http://t.co/l3BfnQyorP
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 3, 2013