Egypt military helicopter crashes near Cairo

The armed forces said the helicopter crash was caused by technical difficulties

An Egyptian military helicopter in the Sinai Peninsula (Reuters)

A military helicopter has crashed in Egypt as militants continue to target security forces in the country.

Mohamed Samir, a spokesperson for the armed forces, said the helicopter went down on the desert road from Ismailia to Cairo at 9.25am (7.25am GMT) today.

He said it was conducting a surveillance mission when a “technical malfunction” caused it to suddenly lose altitude in a rural area in Giza governate.

It came as Egyptian officials confirmed the death of four police officers in a drive-by shooting on the outskirts of Cairo.

Major General Khaled Shalaby said masked gunmen on a motorbike opened fire on a security checkpoint near Saqqara this morning.

The area is an ancient burial ground home to the 4,600-year-old Step Pyramid of Djoser.

Security forces have cordoned off the area and no one immediately claimed the attack.

The Egyptian capital lies less than 100 miles from North Sinai, where Isis affiliate Wilayat Sinai has been targeting soldiers and police in a bloody insurgency.

The group has also claimed responsibility for attacks elsewhere in Egypt and the downing of a Russian passenger plane flying from Sharm el-Sheikh in October, killing all 224 people on board.

Additional reporting by AP