A policeman was shot dead by unknown assailants in Beheira in northern Egypt on Thursday, as attacks on security personnel continue despite a crackdown on militant groups. Rabi Mohamed, 38, was shot in front of a friend's house in a small town in Beheira governorate. A source who preferred to remain anonymous told Al-Ahram Arabic news website that Mohamed has received death threats from alleged Muslim Brotherhoodmembers. Earlier this week two similar incidents took place in North Sinai and in Alexandria, leaving one policeman dead and three others injured. Since the ouster of the Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, the number of violent attacks on security forces by militant groups has increased dramatically. Attacks are concentrated in the northern part of Sinai, where hundreds of security personnel have been killed, but attacks are also regular occurences in other parts of Egypt. The authorities have responded with a military assault on militant groups in Sinai and a security crackdown on the Brotherhood and its allies, arresting hundreds connected with the group. The Brotherhood has denied any link with the violence. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/118317.aspx
