Egypt army storms area near Cairo

Fighting between security forces and armed groups in Kerdassah district leaves one policeman dead, state TV reports.

Egyptian troops and police have stormed the Kerdassah district in the outskirts of Cairo to clear it of "terrorist elements", security officials said, amid clashes with armed groups based in the area.

Vehicles carrying armed personnel were sent into the village on Thursday while army helicopters hovered above.

The clashes have so far left one policeman dead, state TV reported. It said police forces took control of the area and imposed a curfew.

Security troops launched an operation in the area to arrest people accused of torching police stations and killing about 11 security officers in clashes that erupted following the army's ouster of President Mohamed Morsi last July.

Police forces were not allowed in Kerdasah since then.

Al Jazeera's correspondent, reporting from Cairo, said the operation began at about 3:00a.m. and was still ongoing. "Security forces has gone into the area heavily armoured in order to 'root out and arrest terrorists', according to the army".

Kerdasah, known for producing and selling fancy fabrics is 14 km from Cairo and known to be an Islamist stronghold.

Residents of the area said on Wednesday they were not in control of the area but do not want police there.

Morsi's removal in a military coup on July 3 led to nation-wide protests by his supporters.

Violence between his backers and security forces included massive attacks on police stations, security officers and churches.

At least 1,000 people have died in the violence with most deaths coming during the security forces' dispersal of two pro-Mursi sit-ins in Cairo on Aug. 14. About 100 police officers also died in the clashes.

Nearly 2,000 Islamist activists and politicians have been arrested since Morsi's ouster.

The latest raid is part of a concerted efforts to retake areas that have been off limit for the police since weeks.

On Monday, security forces stormed the town of Delga in Minya province, about 300km south of Cairo, and arrested 56 residents.

"What is happening today echoes what happened in Delga. There were similar circumstances. It was also off limits for police for weeks," our correspondent said.

Delga has been under Islamist control since clashes between Mursi's supporters and security forces across the country following the violent clearance of pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo on August 14. About 70 people were killed in Minya province on that day alone.

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