CAIRO, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Police arrested 16 Muslim Brotherhood supporters on Thursday, the state news agency said, the first arrests on charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation since the group was declared one by the government.

The men were arrested in the Nile Delta province of Sharkiya on suspicion of crimes including "promoting the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood group, distributing its leaflets, and inciting violence against the army and police."

The government declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation on Wednesday, accusing it of carrying out a suicide attack that killed 16 people the previous day. The Brotherhood condemned the attack. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Louise Ireland)