Gunmen kill Egypt anti-terror officer due to testify against Morsi

Gunmen kill officer in charge of Muslim Brotherhood file at the Egyptian interior ministry's national security agency.

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CAIRO // Gunmen have shot dead an officer in charge of the Muslim Brotherhood file at the Egyptian interior ministry’s national security agency.

The ministry said the officer was gunned down in his car outside his home late on Sunday.

Security officials named the dead man as Mohamed Mabruk and said his work had focused on Islamist groups that have escalated their attacks since the July 3 overthrow of the former president, Mohammed Morsi.

One security official said Mabruk had been involved in drafting the charges against Mr Morsi and the Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie that led to trials for both of them.

Mabruk had been due to testify this week against Mr Morsi, who is accused of working with groups such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hizbollah to escape from prison during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

Police said Mabruk was hit by seven bullets fired by three gunmen in the Cairo neighbourhood of Nasr City.

A security official said the attack rattled the interior ministry and that it “will be investigated at the highest levels”.

Prime Minister Hazem Al Beblawi condemned Mabruk’s “assassination by treacherous hands”.

“The government will not tolerate criminal and terrorist groups who raise their arms to terrorise security officials,” Mr Al Beblawi said.

No one has yet admitted responsibility for Sunday’s attack.

Al Qaeda-inspired groups have claimed previous attacks in the capital, including a bombing in September that targeted the interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim’s convoy.

He survived the bombing.

* Dow Jones Newswires