Egypt's army preparing to deploy in cities

Egyptian army helicopters fly over as hundreds of thousands of Egyptian demonstrators gather outside the presidential palace in Cairo (Khaled Desouki / AFP)

Egypt's army is preparing to deploy in cities across Egypt if necessary to stop rival politcal factions clashing, military sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, head of the armed forces, issued an ultimatum to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Monday evening, saying the armed forces would propose its own resolution to the massive protests if he failed to adderss them himself.

The same sources told AFP that rapid response units have been on standby since Friday in case they were needed to protect demonstrators.