Nearly 8,000 officers from the Central Security Forces’ Suez Canal and Sinai sector in Ismailia staged a strike on Wednesday, rejecting orders to deploy at Port Said to back up the city’s security forces in clashes with anti-regime protesters since Sunday.

CSF chief Maged Nouh made futile attempts to convince the soldiers to obey orders, but officers detained Nouh inside the camp until 3 am early Wednesday, when he went out through a rear gate.

Officers from the Ismailia Security Directorate moved to the Mustaqbal Prison after its security guards left their positions.

The striking officers staged a protest outside their camp against the policies of Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, with some accusing him of complicity with the controversial policies of the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mohamed Morsy and “repeating the mistakes of the former regime.”

The protesters demanded Ibrahim’s removal and that the Armed Forces take responsibility for securing Port Said. Officers also demanded better arms and legislation ensuring the safety of CSF personnel from thuggery.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm