'The risk of escalation is real'

Today's attack showed the Transitional Military Council (TMC) was never serious about handing power to civilians, analyst Rashid Abdi, former Horn of Africa project director for Crisis Group, told MEE. 

"It wants a solution on its own terms. And that was not palatable to [the] protest movement. Instead of compromise it opted for violence," he said, warning the "risk of escalation is real."

He said the international community needs a stronger response that tells the military council it will be held responsible for civilian deaths and reigns in the military's "foreign enablers".

The military council has been in close contact with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, receiving financial and political support from them.