Egyptian medics say a police and army assault on anti-government protesters in Cairo has killed at least three people, raising the death toll in Egypt to at least five killed in two days of unrest.

Police on Sunday fired tear gas for a second day at thousands of anti-government protesters trying to re-establish a protest camp in Cairo's Tahrir Square to press for quicker democratic reforms by military rulers.

Our VOA correspondent says demonstrators in the square ran for cover Sunday, as police fired American-made tear gas canisters to try to disperse them. Several thousand anti-government protesters managed to remain in control of the square, some camping out in tents and others blocking traffic.

More anti-government activists tried to march toward the site, but police pushed them back.

The VOA correspondent and her team were attacked by an angry mob Sunday while filming police marching toward Tahrir Square. Protesters tried to take VOA cameras, and then beat on the car and followed it by motorcycle as our team tried to leave. They were not injured.

Egyptian Health Ministry officials said a 23-year-old protester died of gunshot wounds in Cairo a day earlier. They say 676 other people were hurt, including dozens of policemen and several journalists.

Egyptian police retreated from the square late Saturday as thousands of anti-government activists streamed back into the area – the focal point of an 18-day uprising that ousted Egypt's autocratic president Hosni Mubarak in February.

Egyptian police also cracked down on anti-government protests in the cities of Alexandria and Suez on Saturday. Authorities say one protester was killed in Alexandria.

Many of the protesters are angry that the Egyptian military council that took power from Mr. Mubarak has set guidelines for a new constitution that would keep some military affairs beyond civilian control. Others have criticized the military leadership for putting civilian dissidents on trial in military courts.

The protests in Tahrir Square began Friday.

Egypt's ruling generals have promised to begin a staggered parliamentary election on November 28, but no date has been set for a promised presidential vote.