Egyptian special forces exchanged fire with “terrorist” fighters during a raid near the al-Amireya area, according to Al Arabiya’s correspondent in Cairo.

“The terrorist elements were planning to carry out bomb attacks and were creating bombs in their hideout location in the al-Amireya in Cairo,” Al Arabiya’s Egypt Bureau Chief Randa Abou El Azm citing several security sources.

“Counter-terrorism forces, along with the police security force and interior ministry, arrived at the scene to conduct the raid on the terrorist group and have now cordoned off the area,” Abou El Azm added.

At least one Egyptian security officer has been killed during the raid on an armed extremist group’s hideout in #Cairo’s al-Amireya neighborhood, according to Al Arabiya’s correspondent.#Egypthttps://t.co/LbYcFruNM5 pic.twitter.com/m2hU4KXYkF — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 14, 2020

The terrorist group targeted in the raid in al-Amireya was planning to attack Egypt's security forces and Coptic Christians, according to Al Arabiya sources.

Local media showing earlier video of special forces attempting to enter the terrorist hideout in the al-Amireya neighborhood in Cairo. (Local media)

At least one Egyptian policeman was killed and another wounded during the shootout, Al Arabiya sources confirmed, adding that the “terrorist cell has been neutralized” several hours after the raid began.

Videos posted on social media by local Egyptian media outlets showed a building in the al-Amireya being surrounded by security forces while a hail of gunfire can be heard in the background.

Read more: Egypt’s mega-city Cairo shuts down for coronavirus curfew

Watch: Egyptian police warn residents of the al-Amireya neighborhood in #Cairo to seek safety indoors amid the shootout between special forces and an armed extremist group.#Egypthttps://t.co/LbYcFruNM5 pic.twitter.com/cnVkFuNfjS — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 14, 2020

“The al-Amireya neighborhood is one of the most densely populated areas of the capital Cairo. It would make sense that terrorist groups would choose to use this area as a hideout given the narrow streets leading up to the area,” retired Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Khalaf, a consultant at the Nasser Military Academy, told Al Arabiya.

Read more: Egypt extends nationwide coronavirus night-time curfew by 15 days

Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, has enforced a nightly curfew in recent weeks and banned large public gatherings and closed schools and universities as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.



Egypt’s health ministry had registered 2,065 cases of the new coronavirus as of Sunday, including 159 deaths.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:54 - GMT 06:54