Egyptian military sorry for protester deaths

In a statement on their Facebook page, Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on Thursday apologized for the deaths of demonstrators during six days of anti-military protests, Agence France Presse reported.

The apology said:

"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces presents its regrets and deep apologies for the deaths of martyrs from among Egypt's loyal sons during the recent events in Tahrir Square. The council also offers its condolences to the families of the martyrs
across Egypt."

The statement comes after SCAF head Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi came under criticism for a speech offering concessions to protesters – in which he made no mention of civilians who had been killed by police.

Read more on GlobalPost: Egypt protests continue despite military concessions

At least 30 people have been killed and hundreds injured in six days of clashes.

Reports say security forces in the capital Cairo used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds overnight Wednesday.

Many protesters appear unconvinced by a promise made by Tantawi on Tuesday to speed-up the transition to a civilian government.

Egypt’s major political parties are considering asking the SCAF to postpone the first round of parliamentary elections for two weeks, CNN reported, citing the state-owned Ahram Online website.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin on Monday.