Mubarak placed in detention

Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak has been placed in detention for 15 days, prosecutors said this morning, after state media reported his two sons had also been detained as part of an inquiry into the use of force against protesters.

In a statement on the public prosecutor's Facebook page, a spokesman said the prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud authorised the detentions "as part of an inquiry into the use of force against protesters during the unrest in January and February."

Earlier state television said Mubarak's sons Gamal and Alaa have been placed in detention accused of incitement to fire at demonstrators during the revolution that lasted from January 25 till February 11 when their father reluctantly stepped down.

Nearly 800 people died during the uprising.