CAIRO, July 21: Egyptian security forces have arrested 34 alleged members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood during a secret meeting north of here, the latest step in a crackdown on the movement, security sources said Sunday.

The 34, who were meeting at the house of an alleged leader of the Muslim Brotherhood

70 kilometres north of Cairo, were charged with trying to revive a banned organization, they said.

Five of those arrested — two university professors, a lawyer, a businessman and a hospital manager — were considered leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, while the remainder were university students, security sources said.

Under emergency laws in force since president Anwar al-Sadat was assassinated by Islamic militants in 1981, the 34 are being detained for 15 days without formal charges, security sources said.

Security sources identified the leaders as engineering professor Sharif Abu al-Majd and education professor Mohammed Haidar, both of Helwan South University, as well as lawyer Osama al-Helou, businessman Osama al-Fattah, and Wael Tulb, manager at al-Hadi Hospital in Helwan.

Security sources said earlier that 31 people had been arrested but then revised the figure to 34 arrested.—AFP