U.K. halts military equipment exports to Egypt

LONDON, July 19 (UPI) -- The British government has halted the export of arms to Egypt over fears of military forces using excessive force in dealing with protesters.

Britain revoked eight export licenses for defense equipment bound for Egypt, The Guardian reported.

A British Foreign Office official said the revocation was tied to reports of military and police abuse against protesters following the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi.

"We judge that there is now a clear risk that the equipment covered by these licenses might contribute to the excessive use of force during crowd control," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said the ban on exports to Egypt included the shipment of an armored personnel carrier components to Egypt's interior ministry, which controls the police force, as well as military of radios, vehicle aerials, machine gun component, tracked armored fighting infantry vehicle components, and tank communication equipment.