- NEW: Prime Minister Ghanzouri criticizes the latest protests, urges civilians to "protect Egypt"
- Nine people have been killed and 354 injured in violence since Friday, officials say
- Security forces and protesters are throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails in central Cairo
- A large explosion is heard from a burning government building
Cairo (CNN) -- Clashes continued in central Cairo Saturday between several hundred pro-democracy protesters and Egyptian security forces attempting to disperse the crowd.
Army troops threw missiles including rocks, glass bottles and fire extinguishers from the roof of the Cabinet building, while protesters lobbed back rocks and Molotov cocktails in return.
Nine people have been killed, six of them by live ammunition, in the clashes Friday and Saturday according to a spokesman for the Health Ministry, Dr. Hisham Sheeha. Among them were two children, aged 12 and 14. Two others died from skull fractures caused by cement blocks, Sheeha said.
He said 354 people have been injured since the latest unrest broke out Friday.
The violence appeared to escalate Saturday morning, with hundreds of army soldiers seen charging through the streets by the Cabinet building, beating and arresting protesters.
A loud explosion was heard from inside the Transport Ministry, where a fierce blaze sent out a huge cloud of smoke. Several other buildings were also on fire and some streets have been barricaded by the military.
Doctors at a makeshift clinic treating injured demonstrators have been attacked. Meanwhile, tents were set alight in Tahrir Square and security forces continued to chase people out of the area.
Egypt's Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri, appointed by the military earlier this month, criticized the unrest and urged civilians "to protect Egypt," in a public address.
He described the violence of recent days as an "attack on revolution" and condemned protesters for throwing stones and damaging public property. He also denied the use by security forces of live ammunition against demonstrators.
"We need to focus on rebuilding the country and the economy," he said.
Activists have been camping outside parliament in protest over Ganzouri's appointment.
Meanwhile, dozens of people gathered in Tahrir Square Saturday ahead of the funerals of those killed.
Among a number of demonstrators detained during the clashes is Samira Ibrahim, who has taken the military to court for allegedly conducting "forced virginity tests" on her in March after she was arrested during protests in Tahrir Square.
Adel Saeed, a spokesman for the general prosecutor, said an investigation is under way into the latest violence.
"We are questioning 14 men detained at scene of clashes and we have a team now at two hospitals questioning the injured to understand how the injuries were inflicted," he said.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said in a statement that the military did not use any live ammunition and that its duty is to protect the Cabinet building, which has been breached by protesters.
Protesters said they had also clashed overnight with "military thugs," who the activists believe are paid by the military to attack them.
Earlier Friday, CNN reporters in Cairo saw several hundred army soldiers rush at the protesters, beating them with sticks and using electric shock devices, as well as chasing them into side streets.
Troops were seen removing a girl's veil and beating an older woman until she apologized. They also smashed and confiscated journalists' cameras, and were seen beating up a journalist working for Al-Jazeera English.
A Ministry of Interior official denied police were involved in the unrest.
"This situation has nothing to do with the police or the Ministry of Interior, and we do not have forces at the site of the clashes," said Gen. Marwan Mustapha, a ministry spokesman.
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