Egypt says jihadist fighter arrested, search underway for 80 others

Egyptian security officials say they arrested a suspected militant and are pursuing 80 others in a province west of Cairo for plotting an imminent attack.

The officials say the home of 25-year-old Hammad Mohamed Shafei was raided in Senofar village in Fayoum province. They say he’s a member of the militant Hasm group, which authorities have linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter with reporters. They didn’t elaborate on the planned attack.

The Hasm group has been tied to a massive explosion earlier this month in Cairo, when a car filled with explosives crashed outside the county’s main cancer hospital, killing at least 20 people.

Egypt has long battled militants led by an Islamic State affiliate in Sinai.

— AP