Morsi supporters plan more protests in Cairo

Egyptian capital Cairo is likely to see an escaalation in protests by supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi today.

BBC reported the protests come days after authorities broke up protests camps of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo that left at least 638 dead.

Supporters of the ousted president plan to converge on central Ramses square from city mosques after prayers.

With a state of emergency in force, police have been authorised the use of live ammunition in self-defence.

Meanwhile, the country's interim leaders, have criticised remarks by president Obama, who yesterday, condemned the government's actions in ordering security forces to break up the protest camps, and cancelled joint military exercises.

Obama said co-operation could not continue while civillians were being killed, stopping short, though, of cutting the $1.3-billion in aid that the US gave to Egypt.

In a statement released early today, the Egyptian presidency said, Obama's words were "not based on fact" and would "embolden armed groups".

It added Egypt was facing "terrorist acts".

Meanwhile, calling on its supporters to gather in mosques for Friday prayers, the Muslim Brotherhood urged them to take to the streets of Cairo in a "march of anger".

According to the group's leaders, they would hold marches under the slogan "the people want to topple the coup".

Security in the capital today was tight, with many armoured personnel carriers on the streets.

Meanwhile, Egypt's health ministry has raised the death toll from Wednesday's violence to 638. 

Ministry spokesman Mohammed Fathallah told the media the number of injured in Wednesday's violence had also increased to 3,994.

He said 288 of the dead were killed in the larger of the two camps, in Cairo's eastern Nasr City district and the number of dead was set to increase even further.

The heavy death toll made Wednesday by far the bloodiest day since the 2011 popular uprising that led to the ouster of long-time ruler and autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

However, despite the surge in violence and body count, the Muslim Brotherhood has continued to stick to its stand and called for more people to occupy the streets against the army-backed interim government.

Obama, in condemnation of the violence, said he was cancelling a US-Egypt joint military operation in protest.

Obama said Operation Bright Star, a joint biennial military exercise set to take place in the Sinai region next month, would not happen, and hinted further steps might follow.