Policeman shot dead at a polling station in Egypt

Cairo - An Egyptian policeman was shot dead on Wednesday when he was caught up in a gunfight between supporters of two presidential candidates outside a polling station in Cairo, security officials told AFP.

Another person was injured in the same fight, which erupted as Egyptians were voting to choose a successor to president Hosni Mubarak, ousted last year in a popular uprising.

The police officer was killed by a shot to the chest, while the second person, a civilian, was hit in the leg, security officials said, adding the incident occurred in the north-eastern Cairo district of Rod al-Farag.

It was not immediately clear which candidates those involved in the altercation were backing, but the gunfight underscored security concerns as millions went to the polls to choose Mubarak's successor.

Soldiers guarded the entrance of schools and other institutions serving as polling stations across the country, backed up by Egyptian policeman in their white summer uniforms.

More than 50 million eligible voters have been called to choose one of 12 candidates wrestling to succeed Mubarak.

Voting over two days is taking place at 13 000 polling stations, with initial results expected on Sunday. Voting ends at 20:00 on both days.