Mosque At Egypt Clashes

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Cairo (CNN) - Renewed clashes between protesters and security forces at a mosque in central Cairo threatened to pull Egypt into another day of widespread violence on Saturday.

The Al-Fateh mosque in Cairo's Ramses Square was the epicenter of the unrest, as security forces surrounded the building, where hundreds of protesters had spent the night.

Those holed up inside the mosque -- most of them supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsy -- and security forces outside blamed each other for instigating the violence.

According to state television, security forces said they were responding to shots being fired from atop the mosque.

At least 173 people have been killed across the country since Friday's mass protests began, a government spokesman said Saturday.

It was an especially bloody week in Egypt, as the interim government put in place by a military coup seeks to restore stability to the country while Morsy supporters fight to restore the democratically elected former president to power.

With no end to the clashes in sight, the pressure on the international community to act increases, raising questions about aid and diplomacy in North Africa and the Middle East.

Inside the Al-Fateh mosque

Hundreds of protesters defied a government-imposed curfew Friday night and stood fast at Ramses Square. The government had warned that those breaking curfew would be dealt with "firmly."

But security forces appear to have acted with restraint overnight, when 1,000 people reportedly took refuge inside the mosque located on the square..