CAIRO, Oct 21: Egyptian security officials say at least 55 policemen, including 20 officers and 34 conscripts, have been killed in a shootout during a raid on a militant hideout near Cairo.
The officials said Saturday that the exchange of fire took place late Friday in the al-Wahat al-Bahriya area in Giza governorate, about 135 kilometers (84 miles) from the capital after security services moved in.
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The officials say the death toll could increase.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Egypt’s Interior Ministry issued a statement on the raid late Friday but didn’t provide a death toll.