Shadowy militant group says it killed a police officer

CAIRO – A shadowy militant group in Egypt that is suspected of links to the banned Muslim Brotherhood has claimed responsibility for the killing of a police officer in a drive-by shooting in Cairo.

The Interior Ministry said Capt. Ibrahim Azazi was gunned down Friday while heading to a mosque. The attack happened in the Nile Delta province of Qalyoubiya, part of Greater Cairo.

The Hasm militant group says in a statement posted on its official website that Azazi was a member of the National Security System, a tool for “oppression and tyranny.”

The group was responsible for several previous attacks, including last month’s explosion in the Egyptian capital’s upscale suburb of Maadi killing a police officer and wounding four others. It says “members of the security forces are legitimate targets.”