Cairo denies deal with Islamic Group to halt violence

The Egyptian Ministry of the Interior issued a statement on Thursday in which it denied any deal between the government and the Islamic Group organization that provides for giving concessions in exchange for the "group's leaders'" instructions to their followers to halt violent operations.

On Wednesday, al-Ahali daily published by the opposition leftist Coalition Party reported that the release of some 750 detainees in recent days was made in the framework of a deal between the two sides.

The paper added that the deal also covered releasing several leaders of the Islamic Group who were sentenced over the assassination of the late Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry's statement stressed that "legitimacy is not negotiable nor bargained," adding that the security forces' position toward confronting terrorism is "unswerving and expresses the policy of a government and a state and the will of the people."