CAIRO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian security agencies killed six terrorists in a shootout in the southern province of Assiut, said the Interior Ministry on Monday, state news agency MENA reported.
The ministry said the extremists were preparing for terrorist acts in the Upper Egyptian governorates, in southern Egypt, according to its statement.
The security forces raided the hideout of the criminals, with a tip-off, and found weapons in their possession.
The ministry stressed that it will continue defending the homeland from the terrorists who seek destabilizing the country.
Egypt has been facing a rising wave of terrorist activities following the military removal of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
Terror attacks had been centered in restive North Sinai before they prevailed nationwide, killing hundreds of policemen and soldiers over the past few years.
Security raids in Egypt killed hundreds of militants and arrested a similar number of suspects as part of the country's anti-terror war declared by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
