CAIRO // Egyptian authorities yesterday arrested more than 60 people associated with the Muslim Brotherhood in less than 24 hours, including relatives of the group's leaders.
The clampdown on the group, of which the deposed president, Mohammed Morsi, was a member, started shortly after the July 3 coup. It intensified this month after security forces cleared out two of the group's sit-ins, sparking unrest that killed more than 1,000 people in a few days. The interior ministry has said more than 100 policemen and soldiers have also been killed this month.
Many members of the Brotherhood and its supporters have been charged with inciting violence.
Security forces have arrested much the Brotherhood's senior and midlevel leadership, while others remain in hiding.
Police are now seeking out members' relatives, and have arrested the son of Khairat El Shater, a Brotherhood deputy charged in relation to the killings of protesters outside the group's headquarters in June.
It was not clear why police have detained Mr El Shater's 23-year-old son. Yesterday, government officials only said that police had arrested Saad El Shater and that he had threatened to release papers allegedly showing ties between his father and Barack Obama.
The brother-in-law of the fugitive Brotherhood figurehead, Mohammed El Beltagy, was also arrested on charges that he incited violent protests aimed at toppling the government that took over from Mr Morsi.
Police said Saeed Zaki Eissa and two others affiliated with the Brotherhood were detained in Alexandria after prosecutors ordered their arrest.
