A senior figure of a Muslim Brotherhood-linked militant group was killed on Friday in shootout with police forces in Egypt's northeastern province of Damietta, police said. A statement from Egypt's Interior ministry said, "While stopping a militant on motorbike at a police checkpoint in Damietta, he opened fire at the forces. An exchange of fire left the militant killed". The statement identified the killed militant as Mohamed A. He was the administrative official of Hasm Movement in al-Basarta village, Damietta. An automatic rifle was found in possession of the killed militant. The killed was previously sentenced in absentia over a number of accusations including unlicensed protesting and bombing a gas pipeline in Damietta. Hasm Movement, which is declared by Egyptian authorities as a terrorist group, has carried out a number of terror attacks that led to dozens of deaths and injuries among police and military personnel nationwide. In August 2016, a statement from the movement close to the now banned Muslim Brotherhood claimed a failed assassination attempt against former grand mufti Ali Joma'a in October 6th city, Giza.
