CAIRO - At least 235 people were killed and over 2,000 injured in clashes across Egypt after the police started at dawn to disperse supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi at two major sit-in sites, a Health Ministry official told Xinhua Wednesday evening.

"The death toll across the country rises to 235, including 43 policemen," Health Ministry spokesperson Mohamed Fatah-Allah told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said "The protesters were given complete opportunity for diplomatic solution, but in vain."

"We cleared up the sit-ins with the least losses," he said.

The Egyptian security forces started Wednesday dawn the cleaning-up operation at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo's Nasr City and Nahda Square in Giza. The pro-Morsi protesters had been sitting in there for some 45 days.