Egyptian security forces have killed at least two members of the Muslim Brotherhood in the northern governorate of al-Gharbia, a media report says.


The two men were killed in a police shootout in the city of Tanta on Friday, state news agency MENA reported.

Another person was wounded and others escaped, the agency added.

The killings occurred before the Friday prayers where mass anti-government rallies are scheduled every week.

Egypt has been hit by a spate of deadly violence since the forced overthrow of democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, last summer.

The country’s military-backed government accuses Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood of attempting to destabilize the country.

Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the violence and thousands have been put behind bars.

Egyptian protesters have been demanding Morsi’s reinstatement and calling for the release of Brotherhood activists.

Amnesty International has recently criticized Egyptian authorities for using an “unprecedented scale” of violence against protesters.

According to the UK-based rights group, 1,400 people have been killed in the violence since Morsi’s ouster in July last year, "most of them due to excessive force used by security forces."