CAIRO, April 9 (Reuters) - Heavy gunfire was heard at a protest outside the Defence Ministry in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Tuesday, live broadcast by al-Hadath TV showed, and activists said in a statement that security forces were trying to break up the protest by force.

Activists said in a statement posted on social media that army soldiers guarding the Ministry were trying to protect the demonstrators. (Reporting by Ali Abdelaty and Sami Aboudi; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)