CAIRO: Egyptian police made 39 arrests after clashes between government backers and opponents that saw both sides use firearms in central Cairo, leaving more than 100 people injured, officials said yesterday.

A judicial source said prosecutors have begun questioning the suspects, as the Health Ministry said Friday’s violence had injured 105 people.

The fighting erupted near the iconic Tahrir Square, roughly 0.5 km from where the government backers had staged their rally, with each side throwing stones at the other.

A few activists on the opposition side fired homemade guns loaded with birdshot at the government backers, who had taken over a main bridge that crosses the Nile River.

Five protesters wounded with birdshot were carried away by comrades, an AFP correspondent reported.

Riot police on foot and in armored vehicles had by nightfall succeeded in creating a cordon between the two sides, but ended up clashing with the opposition activists.

A riot police vehicle on a side street came under fire from birdshot rifles as government backers ducked for cover behind the armored vehicle.

A police officer fired back what appeared to be birdshot from a rifle as protesters cheered, but an Interior Ministry official later insisted to AFP that police had been armed with only tear gas and blanks.

“The people demand the toppling of the regime,” the opposition protesters chanted — the signature slogan of the early 2011 uprising that ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

“Mursi! Mursi!” the government backers chanted back, referring to President Muhammad Mursi, a former Muslim Brotherhood leader.

Prime Minister Hisham Qandil issued a statement warning that “demonstrations accompanied by violence completely harm the security and economy of the country and hamper plans for reform.”

Mursi’s supporters rallying on Friday were demanding an overhaul of the judiciary, which they believe is hostile to the president.