Developing News: Egypt Military Coup Ousts President Morsi

The Egyptian army has announced fresh presidential and parliamentary elections after ousting elected Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi from power.

Mr Morsi was being detained at the defence ministry. He had and his presidential team had initially been held in the Presidential Republican Guards Club, according to a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The head of the Muslim Brotherhood political party and the deputy chief have also been arrested and warrants issued for 300 members of the Brotherhood.

In a televised address to the divided nation, commander of the armed forces, General Abdul Fatah Khalil al Sisi, said Mr Morsi had "failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people" and would be replaced.

Flanked by military officials, Muslim and Christian clerics and political figures, he unveiled details of a political transition which had been agreed with them.

As the military coup got under way with the deployment of tanks and troops including commandos across the capital Cairo, he declared a review and temporary suspension of the Egyptian constitution and the appointment of Adli Mansour, the head of the supreme constitutional court, as interim head of state.

The acting leader will be assisted by an interim council and a technocratic government until new presidential and parliamentary elections are held, he said. No specific details were given when the new polls would take place.

The military chief also announced a national reconciliation committee that would include youth movements - and warned the armed forces and police would deal "decisively" with any violence.

President Barack Obama has voiced his concern over the military intervention and urged a speedy return to a democratically elected government.

In a statement he sad: " ... we are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution.

"I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters."

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton meanwhile condemned the bloodshed and called for a swift return to democracy.

"I urge all sides to rapidly return to the democratic process, including the holding of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution," she said.

The ouster followed the end of crisis talks after an army deadline for Mr Morsi to yield to mass nationwide demonstrations expired and he refused to step down.

"Those in the meeting have agreed on a road map for the future that includes initial steps to achieve the building of a strong Egyptian society that is cohesive and does not exclude anyone and ends the state of tension and division," he said.

Fireworks and flares were set off over Cairo's Tahrir's Square and near the presidential palace where tens of thousands of jubilant anti-Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood protesters erupted into cheers on hearing the news which they hailed as "a victory for the people".

"The people and the army are one hand," they shouted, dancing and waving flags amid the roar of chanting and car horns, and coloured confetti in the air.

One uniformed police officer waved his hands above his head and said: "Great Egypt is victorious. Egypt is victorious over the Brotherhood."

Supporters of the deposed president, who had gathered near Cairo University, were stunned into initial silence at the news.

Elsewhere, four loyalists were killed in clashes with opponents in the northern city of Marsa Matrouh, while police were forced to call for security reinforcements in Alexandria where there was one fatality and 50 others wounded during violence.

Sky's Middle East correspondent Sam Kiley, reporting from within a military cordon around Cairo University, said: "This is a miserable scene from the perspective of the Muslim Brotherhood's supporters.

"They cannot understand why it is possible to overthrow an elected president of the country simply by taking to the streets and holding loud demonstrations. They are also afraid that this could herald a crackdown against them."

The Muslim Brotherhood's TV station was taken off air and its managers arrested hours after its leader was overthrown.

The Egypt25 channel had been broadcasting live coverage of rallies by tens of thousands of pro-Mursi demonstrators in Cairo and around the country, with speeches by leading Brotherhood politicians denouncing the military intervention to oust the elected president.

The offices of Al Jazeera's Egyptian television channel were also reportedly raided by security forces and prevented from broadcasting from a pro-Morsi rally and several members of staff detained.

Mr Morsi was told he was no longer in charge of the country at around 7pm (6pm UK time).

In a statement on his official Facebook page, he was quoted as rejecting the army's announcement as a "full military coup".

Democratically elected to office just over a year ago after the toppling of autocrat Hosni Mubarak as Arab Spring uprisings took hold in early 2011, Mr Morsi had spent the day working at a Republican Guard barracks where barbed wire and barriers were erected by soldiers.

Egyptian security forces earlier revealed orders banning Mr Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie and his deputy Khairat al Shater from travelling abroad had been issued to airport officials.

Troops had also taken up positions in the presidential palace as well as state TV buildings in Cairo, blocking any presidential statements from going out.

Sky's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall, reporting from Cairo, said it was going to be "a difficult night" in the Egyptian capital.

"If elections are held in a few weeks, perhaps those who are so against coup d'etat and its anti-democratic sentiments can see it as part of a transitional period.

"These people will come back onto the streets in a few months time if the army tries to hang on to power, but I think the army knows that and so the elections will come within months, perhaps weeks."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK did not support military intervention and called for restraint in Egypt.

"The situation is clearly dangerous and we call on all sides to show restraint and avoid violence," he said.

"We continue to advise British citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Egypt apart from the Red Sea resorts, and to monitor travel advice from the Foreign Office.

"The United Kingdom does not support military intervention as a way to resolve disputes in a democratic system."

(Sky News)