Vice President of Egypt Omar Suleiman stated Thursday that neither the President Hosni Mubarak, nor his son Gamal, would run for president at the September elections, state media reported. Protests all over Egypt, army protects demonstrators.

Suleiman also promised to punish everyone involved with inducing violence and to free young people who were arrested during anti-government protests and who did not participate in violence, the stated television reported.

It was widely believed that Mubarak was grooming his son Gamal, 46, to succeed him despite significant public opposition.

His chances to become Egyptian president reduced when Mubarak appointed Suleiman for Vice President last week, and Suleiman’s Thursday statement was the first official confirmation that Gamal Mubarak would not run for the office, western news agencies reported.

Riots in Egypt do not stop – five persons killed, hundreds injured

Clashes at the Cairo Tahrir square and the surrounding streets escalated on Wednesday night, President Hosni Mubarak’s supporters opened fire upon antigovernment protesters, killing five and injuring 13 persons, while the Egyptian army started arresting people.

“Most injuries were inflicted with rocks, metal bars ad sticks. Medical aid was provided for 836 persons, 86 of which are still in the hospital, and five persons died”, Minister of Health Ahmed Sameh Farid stated.

These were the harshest conflicts since the beginning of demonstrations against Mubarak 10 days ago, and many protesters accuse government of being behind their supporters’ attack on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Mubarak announced that, after 30 years of rule, he would retire in September, which infuriated the protesters which demand he does that immediately.

Clashes at the Tahrir square, broadcasted live on television, after a short standstill continued Thursday morning around 4 a.m. local time.

After more than an hour of intensive shooting, Mubarak’s supporters and opponents were throwing rocks at each other, and black smoke rose above the square. Just before the dawn, army vehicles started arriving, but the clashes among the two groups continued.

When Mubarak stated on Tuesday on national television he would retire before September, the army advised protesters to go home, which they refused, claiming that protests will not stop until 82-years-old president resigns.

Demonstrators claim their attackers were police officers in civilian clothes, which was denied by the Interior Ministry, and the government rejected all the call from international community to end violence and starts transfer of rule.

According to some estimation, a total of 150 persons lost their lives so far, and the protests are being held throughout the country. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay stated it was possible that the number of killed is 300.

On Wednesday, Egypt’s vice-president Omar Suleiman advised 2,000 demonstrators on Tahrir square to disband and respect the curfew, so that law and order could be restored. He said that the beginning of a dialogue with the reformists and the opposition depends on ending street protests.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requested conduction of an investigation of the attacks of government’s supporters against antigovernment protesters in Cairo. Clinton was the first U.S. official to contact the Egyptian vice-president, a long-time U.S. trustworthy person, AP reports.