Egypt official: Muslim Brotherhood backs unrest

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s interior minister says his forces have foiled several attempted terror attacks and arrested leading militants, accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of mobilizing and financing some of the country’s most violent groups to cause unrest.

Minister Mohammed Ibrahim’s comments Saturday were the first detailed examples offered by a senior Egyptian official to back claims that the Brotherhood, the group of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, is responsible for attacks against security, government institutions and the country’s Coptic minority.

The Brotherhood repeatedly has denied government claims that it uses or condones violence.

Ibrahim told reporters that five senior militants were detained from two pro-Morsi sit-ins which authorities broke up violently in August. Ibrahim accused sit-in participants of stockpiling weapons. He said other militants arrested were released from prison by Morsi’s government.

In September, Ibrahim was the target of an assassination attempt. He survived the attack, but at least 22 people were wounded, including two policemen and a child seriously. An unidentified body that likely belonged to an attacker was found at the site of the attack, according to security officials