Troops surround Egyptian town

Egyptian troops backed by helicopters have surrounded a town outside Cairo known to be an Islamist stronghold after exchanging fire with suspected militants who killed a senior police officer, the country’s official news agency said.

General Nabil Farag, an aide to the police chief of the city of Giza, was killed when militants opened fire on security forces deployed early today to the town of Kerdasa to drive off suspected Islamic militants, MENA said. It added that “terrorists and criminal elements” were responsible.