Egypt exposes ‘terror cell’ with 225 members

The Egyptian interior ministry on Monday said security forces had uncovered at least 44 alleged terror cells with links to the now banned Muslim Brotherhood of ousted president Mohammad Morsi.

Authorities had apprehended 225 cells members for targeting the private police positions, Interior minister Mohammad Ibrahim said during a news conference in Cairo.

During the conference, he also aired a video confession of one of the cell members and said those arrested had links to Muslim Brotherhood supporters who had protested last summer at Nahda Square in Gizza Province. Egyptian authorities had used force to disperse the protesters at the time.

Ibrahim also said several of those arrested belonged to Ajnad Misr, meaning "Soldiers of Egypt," a little-known group that recently claimed bombings in Cairo that targeted Egypt’s security forces.

He identified the head of the group as Jamal Abdel-Rahim, adding that other members of the group had been apprehended with explosives on them.

The minister said at least 11 storage facilities for manufacturing “harmful material,” 43 hand grenades and large quantities of bomb-making material had been seized in the operation.

Militants have stepped up their attacks against security forces since the army ousted Mursi in July 2013.

Earlier this year, Cairo designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a "terrorist organization."