CAIRO – Egyptian security forces said they arrested Saturday a top wanted militant in the Sinai Peninsula suspected of killing 25 off-duty police officers.

Meanwhile, authorities arrested another top figure from former President Mohammed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group, whose supporters have held near-daily protests against the Islamist’s ouster in a July 3 coup.

In a sign authorities are responding to an easing of those pro-Morsi rallies, the government once again shortened a military-imposed curfew by two hours, making the evening lock-up in nearly a dozen Egyptian provinces only seven hours.

However, the full 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew will remain in place for Fridays, when supporters of Morsi usually organize large rallies. Hundreds of his supporters, including leading Brotherhood members, have been arrested in a crackdown on the group.

Violence in the Sinai Peninsula however has only worsened since Morsi’s overthrow. The militant arrested Saturday is suspected of leading an al-Qaida-linked group in an ambush where 25 off-duty police officers were lined up and shot last week, security officials said. The attack was one of the area’s worst militant strikes on security forces.

The militant, Adel Mohammed, also known as Adel Habara according to one official, has already been sentenced to death in absentia for killing soldiers in the Nile Delta last year.

Habara’s arrest could potentially undermine militant activities in the area, where more than two dozen security personnel have been killed since July. The security official said two other suspects were arrested along with Habara.

Authorities have been engaged in a long-running battle against militants in the northern half of the strategic region, which borders the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Earlier Saturday, security officials said 31 suspected militants have been arrested since Thursday, including three suspected of involvement in last week’s attack and two seeking care for wounds sustained in clashes with police.

 

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