Egypt’s foreign ministry said it summoned Qatar’s ambassador on Saturday in protest at Doha’s criticism of the government’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypt's foreign ministry said it summoned Qatar's ambassador on Saturday in protest at Doha's criticism of the government's crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated following the Egyptian military's overthrow of president Mohammad Mursi and a deadly crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood movement, which Qatar backs.

The Qatari Al-Jazeera news broadcaster has also incensed Egypt's government with its coverage of a police crackdown on persistent Brotherhood protests since Mursi's overthrow in July.

"The Qatari ambassador was summoned over a statement by the Qatari foreign ministry," Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty told AFP.