Egyptian Policeman, Villager Slain; Muslim Militants Are Suspected

Suspected Muslim militants shot at a police station in southern Egypt on Sunday, killing a policeman and a villager, security sources said.

Two policemen and a villager were wounded in the attack, which took place in Awana village in Asyut province, about 200 miles south of Cairo.

The sources said police suspect that the gunmen were members of a regional Islamic group that has been waging war against police in southern Egypt for over three years. Five policemen were killed in the same area earlier this month when militants opened fire on a police car escorting vehicles carrying high school examinations from Asyut city to surrounding towns.