A national security policeman has been shot dead by unknown assailants in Menoufiya, north of Cairo, a security official said. Armed men opened fire at the policeman at dawn on Wednesday and fled the scene, Aswat Masriya news website reported. Investigations are underway to identify the assailants. The attack is the latest in near daily violence against members of the security forces by alleged Islamists since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and a subsequent government crackdown on his supporters. Hundreds of police and soldiers have been killed in bombings and shootings in the past 18 months. The deadliest attacks against security forces have taken place in the northern part of the border Sinai region, a hotbed of Islamist militancy. Small-scale bombings, which target police as well as economic installations, have become a regular occurrence in Cairo and other mainland cities. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/126619.aspx
