CAIRO — Egyptian authorities continue to crack down on terrorist elements in the Sinai Peninsula, but more recently these operations seem to have moved out of Sinai and closer to the capital city of Cairo.

On Sept. 28, Egypt’s security forces killed two suspected militants in Qalyubia governorate, in the Greater Cairo area. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior said in a statement that a shootout erupted when police raided a hideout in al-Qalg used by suspects planning terrorist attacks. The statement said Hossam Abd Rabbo, 47, and Ahmed al-Sayyid al-Biyoumi Ibrahim, 37, were killed and found in possession of a machine gun, a pistol and various types of ammunition of different calibers.

According to the statement, the suspects belonged to an extremist and terrorist cell that had been targeted in April before carrying out a terrorist attack ahead of the Coptic holidays.

The ministry had said April 14 that Muhammad al-Hofi, a counterterrorism officer at the ministry, was killed during clashes with terrorists in Cairo's Amiriyah district. Seven terrorist operatives were also killed.