Egypt police kill 40 suspected militants a day after tourists die in roadside bomb blast

Government accuses ‘terrorist elements’ of planning attacks targeting state institutions and tourism industry

Dozens of suspected militants have been killed in raids by Egyptian security forces, the country’s interior ministry said, a day after four tourists died following a bomb blast in Cairo.

Around 40 militants were killed on Saturday in crossfire during raids on three hideouts in the city of Giza and North Sinai, Egypt’s state-run news agency MENA reported

The ministry did not say whether those killed were connected to Friday’s attack, which left three Vietnamese tourists and and Egyptian guide dead after a roadside bomb hit a bus near the pyramids in the Egyptian capital.

Security forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza, where the interior ministry said “terrorist elements” were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry.

They also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where Egypt is fighting an insurgency led by Isis.

The ministry did not give any details about the suspects’ identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously.

The government published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them.

Egypt’s military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the Arab Spring protests of 2011.

Additional reporting by Reuters