At least 54 policemen, including 20 officers and 34 conscripts, were killed when a raid on a militant hideout southwest of Cairo was ambushed, officials said Saturday. Arab media reported that the ensuing firefight was one of the deadliest for Egyptian security forces in recent years.
Two police officials told The Associated Press that the exchange of fire began late Friday in the al-Wahat al-Bahriya area in Giza province, about 135 kilometers southwest of Cairo.
The firefight began when security forces acting on intelligence moved against a militants’ hideout in the area. Backed by armoured personnel carriers and led by senior counter-terrorism officers, the police contingent drew fire and rocket-propelled grenades, according to the officials.
The officials said what happened next is not clear, but added that the force likely ran out of ammunition and that the militants captured several policemen and later killed them.
The officials said the police force appeared to have fallen into a carefully planned ambush set up by the militants. The death toll could increase, they added.
No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Follow TKG on Twitter & Facebook
