REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CAIRO - The death toll from two days of clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt's ousted president rose to 11 on Tuesday. Most of the victims were killed in pre-dawn street battles near a pro-Mohammed Mursi protest camp as the country remained mired in deadly turmoil three weeks after the military overthrew the Islamist leader.

Security officials said the fighting turned deadly after masked gunmen appeared at the scene and started shooting at the Mursi supporters with live ammunition and birdshot. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information, had no word on the identity of the gunmen.

The bloodshed is widening the divisions between Mursi's supporters and the military-backed administration that took over after he was toppled and diminishing the chances of reconciliation. Fueling the anger is the continued detention of Mursi, the country's first freely elected leader, who has been held incommunicado and without charge.

Violence has frequently broken out amid persistent rival demonstrations between the two sides, but the running street battles that began before dawn on Tuesday were among the most intense since the crisis began on July 3.

The latest violence underlines the depth of the polarization in Egypt since shortly after the popular uprising that toppled Mubarak, whose rule was unchecked for nearly 30 years. Two weeks ago, at least 54 people were killed in violence between security forces and Morsi supporters, the deadliest single toll since the coup.

Mursi's fate also has become a focus of the political battle between Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood and the new military-backed government. The deposed president's family denounced the military in a Monday news conference, accusing it of "kidnapping" him, and European diplomats urged that he be released.

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