REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CAIRO - Egypt remained on edge Sunday after security forces stormed a Cairo mosque a day earlier and Muslim Brotherhood remained poised to hold further street protests despite a possible outlawing of the group.

At one point, troops exchanged gunfire with men shooting from a minaret of the al-Fath mosque on Ramses Square, where hundreds of supporters of Mohammed Mursi had fled overnight after violent clashes killed 173 people.

The evacuation was prompted by fears that the Brotherhood again planned to set up a sit-in, security officials said, similar to those that were broken up Wednesday in assaults that killed hundreds of people.

Egypt considers to ban Brotherhood

The Egyptian government meanwhile announced it had begun deliberations on whether to ban the Brotherhood, a long-outlawed organization that swept to power in the country's first democratic elections a year ago. Such a ban — which authorities say is rooted in the group's use of violence — would be a repeat to the decades-long power struggle between the state and the Brotherhood.

The unrest in Egypt has raised international concerns over the country's stability and prompted U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to condemn in a statement on Saturday both "violent protests" in reference to Brotherhood's rallies and the authorities' "excessive use of force."

Former President Jimmy Carter expressed deep concern over the violence, saying it is "rapidly eroding the chances for dialogue and a road to reconciliation." Carter added that he is "especially concerned that Egyptians are arming themselves and engaging in inter-communal violence."

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