Leading member of Hasm militant group killed in shootout with Egypt’s police

Egypt’s Ministry of Interior said on Tuesday that police killed a leading member of the militant group Hasm during a shootout in Fayoum governorate.

The ministry said that the National Security Agency received information that a meeting of the group’s members was set to be held in Fayoum’s Snores village to plan terrorist attacks.

The slain leader was responsible for recruiting young members and sending them to training camps affiliated with the group, the ministry added.

Hasm has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks against Egyptian security personnel in recent months, mostly targeting police checkpoints.

Egyptian security forces have arrested and killed dozens of suspected Hasm members in the past few months.

On Sunday, security forces in Giza said that two members of Hasm were killed in a shootout in 6 October City, a suburb of Greater Cairo.

According to interior ministry officials, the group is linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organisation.

Source: Ahram online