Egypt's military rulers have called for a swift investigation into unrest in Cairo involving Coptic Christians and security forces on Sunday. Security forces moved in as clashes erupted at a march organised by Copts angry at an attack on a church. But eyewitnesses say troops opened fire on the crowds, and TV footage showed military vehicles running people over. Reports said there was more unrest on Monday outside a Coptic hospital where the bodies of the victims were taken. The Associated Press news agency reported that several hundred Christians gathered outside the hospital and pelted police with stones. Meanwhile, Coptic Church leader Pope Shenuda III blamed Sunday's violence on infiltrators. "The Christian faith denounces violence. Strangers infiltrated the demonstration and committed the crimes for which the Copts have been blamed," the pope said in a statement. The Copts - who make up about 10% of the population - protested in Cairo over an attack on one of their churches in the southern Aswan province. They accuse the governing military council of being too lenient on the perpetrators of a string of anti-Christian attacks. The BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says the government is under pressure to give assurances about national unity. 'Plain-clothed attackers' The military called on the government to carry out a quick investigation into the clashes by "forming a fact-finding committee to determine what happened and take legal measures against all those proven to have been involved". In a statement read out on state TV, the army also said it would take all necessary measures to maintain security and repeated its commitment to plan for handing power to civilians. Security has been stepped up at vital installations in Cairo, with additional troops deployed outside parliament and the cabinet building in anticipation of further unrest. Funeral services were expected to be held in the afternoon at Cairo's Coptic cathedral. Thousands of people - mainly but not exclusively Christians - joined the initial march from the Shubra district of northern Cairo to the state TV building in Maspero Square on Sunday, calling on the military council to sack the governor of Aswan province. They also accused state TV of fanning the flames of anti-Christian agitation. But the demonstrators said they were assaulted by attackers in plain clothes before the clashes with the security forces broke out. The violence began outside the state TV building but soon spread to Tahrir Square, the centre of the demonstrations which led to President Hosni Mubarak's resignation in February. There were reports of thousands joining in the street violence, attacking both sides. Rioters tore up the pavement and hurled stones. Correspondents say that many Muslims came out to defend Christians from the security forces and protest against the military's continued hold on power. Some called for the resignation of the military council, in particular its chairman, Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi. Others responded to government calls to help the army quell the unrest for the sake of stability. Some protesters reported hearing gunfire, and several said they had seen a military vehicle run over at least five people. There has been no comment from the government on the reports. One eyewitness, a Christian named Sandra, watched the violence on Maspero Square from her home. "Everything took place directly underneath our house," she told the BBC. "It all happened so fast. The army moved in with tanks and were literally running over people. You could see bodies all over the place. People were running and screaming." The ministry of health said that at least 24 people had been killed and 212 had been wounded in the violence. Of this number, at least 86 were security forces, ministry spokesman Hisham Shiha told the BBC. Security vacuum Later, Egypt's Prime Minister Essam Sharaf appealed for calm. Christians in Egypt have been worried by the increasing show of strength by ultra-conservative Islamists. In May, 12 people died in attacks on Coptic churches. In March, 13 people were killed in clashes between Muslims and Copts in Tahrir Square. This latest violence comes ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 November, the first such vote since Mr Mubarak was ousted. The Copts, the largest minority in Egypt, complain of discrimination, including a law requiring presidential permission for churches to be built. Egypt only recognises conversions from Christianity to Islam, not the other way.