Egypt: Senior Policeman Dead in Clashes in Cairo Suburb of Kerdasa

Clashes have erupted in the Cairo suburb of Kerdasa after Egypt's security forces stormed the village in the latest crackdown on militants.

A senior officer was killed as police attempted to reassert control over the area, where 11 policemen were killed in a militant attack last month.

The officer, identified as Giza deputy security chief General Nabil Farrah, died in what one official described to AFP as "a heavy exchange of gunfire between the security forces and the terrorists."

Fifteen people have been arrested. Footage from state television showed teargas being fired as army and police vehicles moved around Kerdasa.

"The security forces will not retreat until [Kerdasa] is cleansed of all terrorist and criminal nests," said Egypt's security spokesman Hany Abdel Latif.

Kerdasa police station was abandoned by the authorities after it was hit by rockets and gunfire on 14 August. The same day, security forces raided protest camps filled with supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo, killing hundreds.

Only nine miles from Cairo, Kerdasa is regarded as an Islamist stronghold.

The attempt to reclaim control of the suburb comes after a similar crackdown was launched in the town of Delga in central Egypt on Monday.

At least 2,000 people, mostly pro-Morsi supporters, have been arrested since the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood leader.