Egypt's cabinet has tasked the interior minister to take necessary action to end sit-ins by Islamists and deal with any threats against national security, state media reported.
In a televised statement, Information Minister Doriah Sharaf el-Din said the "dangerous situation" at Rabaa Al Adawiya Square in Cairo and at al-Nahda Square in Giza, where Islamists were holding protests, were a threat to national security and citizens.
"The cabinet has decided to take all measures to confront these risks and put an end to them. Violence is no longer acceptable," Xinhua quoted el-Din as saying.