A police officer was killed on Tuesday during a raid by Egyptian security forces in which they exchanged fire with members of what was described as a “terrorist group” at Cairo's El-Amiriya neighborhood, Arab News reported, citing state television.
The officer who was killed was reportedly from Egypt's National Security Agency.
Egyptian forces said that they raided a terrorist hideout in the district, and killed all of its members.
Police warned residents of the neighborhood to keep their windows closed and to seek safety indoors.
Private television stations broadcast what they said was footage of the incident. Gunshots were heard and the neighborhood was seen in complete darkness, in what appeared to be a power cut.
"Initial investigations show that the suspects were planning to carry out terrorist acts," said a security source, who added that explosives and weapons were found with the suspects.
Al-Arabiya reported that the members of the group had been planning to attack Egypt's security forces as well as Coptic Christians.
Egypt has been fighting a terrorist insurgency for several years. While most of the attacks have taken place in the restive Sinai Peninsula, they at times have spilled over into other parts of the country.
The majority of the attacks in this time period have been claimed by the Sinai Province, the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate in Egypt.
Christian sites of worship across Egypt have been repeatedly targeted in attacks claimed by ISIS, prompting the authorities to impose a state of emergency.
Coptic Christians make up about 10% of Egypt's predominantly Sunni Muslim population and have been continuously targeted by jihadists in recent years.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of the Seventh Day of Passover in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)