Police arrest 15 alleged Islamic militants

Egyptian police have detained 15 alleged militants for attempting to revive a banned insurgent Islamic group and planning terrorist attacks, officials said today.

Police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the men were arrested in four Egyptian provinces on Thursday and Friday for allegedly attempting to revive the Islamic Jihad group.

Islamic Jihad was responsible for the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and wanted to turn Egypt into an Islamic state.

The group was a key player in an Islamic fundamentalist insurgency that began in 1992, but was crushed by security forces in 1997. The violence killed more than 1,200 people, mostly militants and police. Several imprisoned Jihad leaders have since reportedly endorsed calls to quit fighting and peacefully pursue Islamic goals.

Police said the 15 men were allegedly planning to carry out terrorist attacks. The officials did not elaborate.

Prosecution officials ordered the men to be detained for 15 days for questioning.

In January, authorities announced the arrest of 43 alleged militants who police said belonged to Islamic Jihad and were planning to carry out terrorist attacks on government officials and a foreign establishment. The 43 remain in detention without being charged.