CAIRO, June 7 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt's interior ministry said on Tuesday that three suspects were arrested and three were killed in an operation to capture suspects in relation to the attack that killed eight policemen in Helwan early May.

Two groups claimed responsibility for the attack; the Islamic State-affiliate in Egypt and another group known as the "Popular Resistance".

In a statement published on Tuesday, the ministry said that after an extensive search and data gathering process, the identities of the suspects became known.

The statement lists the names of seven alleged "terrorists" who hold "takfiri" ideas. Among those suspects, three were arrested and three were killed in a shootout after the police raided their "organisational den" in Ras al-Bar city in Damietta.

Another suspect managed to escape after confrontations that led to the injury of four security officials including a Major General and the injury of two others at another checkpoint, according to the statement.

The ministry added that the suspects were involved in a number of other incidents in Cairo and Giza including an attack on a security checkpoint in Sakkara in 2015 that killed four security personnel and setting a car on fire leading to the death of a Brigadier General and a conscript early 2016.

Similar attacks have taken place across Egypt since the military ouster of former president Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule.

The group affiliated to the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a number of operations targeting vital facilities and security personnel. Most attacks occurred in North Sinai at first; but they have later crawled into other parts of the country, including the capital.