Egypt's Interior Ministry set on fire amid protests

Reports from Egypt have confirmed that the country's Interior Ministry is on fire in downtown Cairo, following protests by policemen and civilian employees, demanding salary increases, earlier in the day.

The protesters have denied setting the building on fire, saying it began inside. Earlier, Egyptian security forces surrounded the ministry to prevent the demonstrators from storming it.

Before the fire broke out, thousans of demonstrators made their way to the site through Tahrir Square, the place where the protests that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak began, and in the direction of the state television and radio offices.

Speaking about the latest wave of protests, Egypt's Interior Minister Mansour El-Essawy said the protesters were also asking for increased health benefits, and promised to consider their demands.

Sources: USA Today, Bloomberg, AP, ABC News, CNN

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