Egypt says it arrested militants, foiled plots

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's top security official has sought to build claims that the Muslim Brotherhood is backing terrorism, showing alleged confessions of militants saying the received funds from members of the group to attack police and the military.

The Brotherhood has denied any link to the wave of militant attacks on security forces, which escalated since last summer in retaliation for the military's outer of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and the subsequent crackdown on his Islamist supporters.

Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim aired the confessions at a press conference Monday, saying authorities are in "decisive stage in curbing terrorism" after they successfully uncovered 40 "terrorist cells" since April. In the confessions, several of the militants said they had fought in Syria's civil war before returning to Egypt to join the militant campaign.