CAIRO, Jun 9 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt’s Homeland Security police have arrested 13 people in the coastal city of Alexandria for “carrying out terrorist operations,” the interior ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The ministry accuses the suspects of membership in a group that “emanated from the terrorist organisation,” in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood group, which Egyptian authorities have listed as a terrorist organisation in December 2013 and insists it is behind the wave of militancy which has targeted security personnel since July 2013.

The Brotherhood continuously denies the accusations.

The Muslim Brotherhood offshoot, which the suspects allegedly belong to, is led by a senior Muslim Brotherhood leader and "aims to escalate violence" inside the country through instructions received from Muslim Brotherhood fugitives who are at large outside the country, the ministry said. 

The ministry added that the arrested confessed that they have followed the Brotherhood’s instructions, received “military training” and “carried out some terrorist operations.”

Since the 2013 military ouster of former president Mohamed Mursi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, following protests against his rule, Egyptian authorities have led a crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood leaders and supporters, who have often found themselves behind bars or facing court cases.