Egyptian police kill 5 terrorists in fire exchange near Cairo

CAIRO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian police killed five terrorists on Monday in fire exchange in Obour city near Cairo, Egyptian Interior Ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said security forces located the terrorists' hideout in Obour, north of Cairo, adding the terrorists opened fire at policemen after they were discovered.

The terrorists used a building under construction as a basis for their terror activities, the ministry said.

According to the statement, police also seized three machine guns, a shotgun and ammunition at the hiding place.

The ministry confirmed that the terror group planned to carry out terror acts against vital institutions and churches across the country.

In separate operations, security forces in Alexandria and Qalioubiya provinces, north of Cairo, arrested 11 other terrorists associated with the terror cell in Obour, the statement pointed out.

Egypt has been fighting against a wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military toppled former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Terror attacks in Egypt used to be centered in North Sinai before spreading nationwide and killing hundreds of policemen and soldiers over the past few years.

Last month, a terrorist attack at a mosque in North Sinai killed at least 305 Muslim worshippers, including children, and wounded over 120 others. Enditem