Jordan voices support for Egypt against terrorism as officer killed in Cairo

CAIRO – 16 April 2020: The Jordanian Foreign Ministry affirmed full support of Egypt in the face of terrorism, after a police officer was killed while raiding a terrorist hideout in the capital Cairo. Seven targeted elements were also killed.

The only victim in the raid was Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Al-Houfi, a father of three children, the oldest of whom is seven years old. He was part of a raid on the terrorist hideout in Cairo’s crowd district of Amiriya.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi condemned the “coward” terrorist act in Cairo, according to the Egyptian state’s news agency MENA, affirming that Egypt is “stronger” than terrorism and is able to defend its security.

“May God have mercy on the officer who rose (died) while confronting terrorists and may [God] bless the injured [officers] with recovery,” Safadi said, according to the Jordan News Agency (Petra).

After the incident, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior said on a statement Tuesday that its forces eliminated a terrorist cell that practiced extremism and was located in the east of Cairo before plotting attacks against the Egyptian Copts.

The statement revealed that the terrorist elements timed their attacks to coincide with Christian religious holidays, adding that 7 terrorists were killed during a fire exchange with counter-terrorism forces.

Another officer and two policemen were wounded according to the Ministry’s statement.

The security forces confiscated six machine guns, four birdshot rifles, and a large supply of ammunition found with the dead terrorists.

The statement added that the security forces also raided a weapons store located in Al Matariya neighborhood in the east of Cairo to find four machine guns and ammunition that would have been used in the attacks against the Copts.

Egyptian General Attorney Hamada Al Sawi ordered to open an investigation into the fire exchange between security forces and terrorist elements at a Cairo’s neighborhood that ended with the elimination of the terrorists.