Egypt’s military chiefs hold crisis meeting as Mursi snubs ultimatum.

Egypt’s military chiefs hold crisis meeting as Mursi snubs ultimatum.(AA).

Egypt's military council is currently holding a crisis meeting which was joined by leading opposition figure Mohammed ElBaradei and religious leaders, military sources said on on Wednesday.

The meeting was being held hours before the expiry of a deadline set by the army for rival politicians to find a solution to the country's political crisis. The source said the meeting was being attended by senior commanders of the armed forces.

The deadline is at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT) for the Islamist leader to "meet the demands of the people" -- who took to the streets in their millions on Sunday demanding he go -- or face army intervention.

The army will issue a statement after the deadline expires, a source close to the military told AFP.

The powerful armed forces on Monday issued Mursi the 48-hour ultimatum -- which expires at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT) -- for the Islamist leader to "meet the demands of the people" following mass protests calling for his resignation.

In a statement that was headlined “The Final hours,” Egypt’s high command said on Wednesday that the army was ready to sacrifice blood to defend the Egyptian people against “terrorists or fools” as the death toll mounted in protester clashes.

The post on the official Facebook page of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), headed by armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said: "We swear to God that we will sacrifice even our blood for Egypt and its people, to defend them against any terrorist, radical or fool."

The statement was issued three hours after Mursi gave a televised address to reject the ultimatum from Sisi.

A military source said the statement made clear that the armed forces would not abandon their demands, according to Reuters.

• 12:03pm Military sources say the defense minister is meeting with representative from Brotherhood and Salafist parties

• 11:47 am Military sources: ElBaradei, Al Azhar Sheikh and the Egyptian Pope are at the meeting with the military defense

• 11:30 am Military chiefs will release a statement after 4.30pm (local time) - 12:30pm GMT

• 11:14 am Egyptian opposition groups say ElBaradei is meeting with the defense minister now

• 10: 50 am Egypt's 'Tamarod' says Mursi's speech is an example that 'he cannot claim responsibility.'

• 10: 50 am Egypt's 'Tamarod' says Mursi must be arrested immediately on charges of calling for civil war.

• 10:26 am Egypt’s hardline al-Gamaa al-Islamiya denies it called on Mursi to hold early presidential elections.

• 10:14 am Senior military commanders were in emergency talks after Egypt's Mursi rejected their ultimatum to resolve the current crisis

• 8:41am Egypt's hardline al-Gamaa al-Islamiya calls on Mursi to hold early presidential elections-spokesman tells Reuters