Egypt Dismantles Three Terrorist Cells

Local Editor

Egypt said Monday it has dismantled three "terrorist cells" targeting security forces, including one run by extremists and another operated by student supporters of ousted president Mohammed Mursi.

Militants have stepped up attacks on security forces since the army overthrew Mursi in July last year.

Officials say that such attacks have killed some 500 people.
"Police efforts resulted in the arrests of terrorist elements of these cells which targeted security forces," interim interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim said at a news conference.

He said one group was operated by Ajnad Misr, a movement which has claimed several attacks targeting policemen in Cairo.
"Police arrested three leaders and four members of this group run by Ajnad Misr in Giza province" near Cairo, Ibrahim said.
"They confessed to killing members of the army and police in a series of bombings, including one that killed a police brigadier general near Cairo University" on April 2, he said.

That day Ajnad Misr said it was behind three bombings outside the university.
"The security forces also discovered and dismantled two cells that planned to attack the army, police and public installations," Ibrahim said.
One was run by a student, Abdullah Hesham, who had fought in Syria with the Ahrar al-Sham armed group in Syria.

Ibrahim said Hesham had received funds from Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Qatar and had also taken part in a pro-Mursi sit-in at Cairo's Nahda Square last August.

Ibrahim said police arrested Hesham and another student who planned to attack security forces and state installations.
He said the other group, financed by a Brotherhood leader, was also dismantled and three of its members arrested, adding that it planned to attack the state television headquarters and the Media Production City in Cairo, where many satellite television channels are based.

Reporters were also shown video footage of confessions by some detainees.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team