Egyptian Police Arrest Local ‘Terrorist Cell’ who Trained in Syria: Interior Ministry

Egyptian national security officials have discovered a local “terrorist cell” whose members received training in Syria, the Interior Ministry spokesman told Reuters’ Aswat Masriya on Saturday.

Spokesman Hani Abdel-Latif said the cell members returned to Egypt after receving training on carrying out terrorist attacks.

A detailed statement on the cell and their activity is set to be released later.

Egypt’s security forces are currently battling a militant insurgency in North Sinai that has been present for the last decade but has drastically increased its attacks in the past year after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

While the attacks have mainly targeted security personnel in the Sinai Peninsula, they have also spread to Cairo and surrounding cities, with citizens killed and injured in the violence as well.