At least 30 police officers killed in shootout in Egypt’s western desert

At least 30 police officers were killed in a shoot-out during a raid on a suspected militant hideout in Egypt’s Western desert, two security sources said on Friday.

According to Reports on Saturday , the number has risen to 52.

A number of suspected militants were also killed and security forces are continuing to comb the area, a statement by the Interior Ministry said.

Egypt faces an Islamist insurgency led by the Islamic State group in the Sinai Peninsula, where hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed since 2013.

But in recent months, the insurgency has intensified attacks in the mainland, often targeting minority Coptic Christians. (Reuters)