Egyptian security officials say police kill 6 militants in heavy shootout near Cairo

CAIRO – Egyptian security officials say police forces have killed six militants after a heavy exchange of fire in a rural area outside of Cairo.

The officials say Friday's shooting followed intelligence reports that pinpointed a group responsible for the killing of a policemen and a bombing of five electricity transmission pylons.

The say the police found a bomb and automatic weapons in the house where the militants were killed in Ausim, a farming area about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Egyptian capital.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to reporters.

Egypt faces a burgeoning insurgency by militants, including Islamic State extremists. Attacks have primarily targeted security forces in the restive Sinai Peninsula but have also spread to the mainland in recent weeks.