Four killed in clashes between Egyptian police and Muslim Brotherhood members

Four people were killed on Saturday in clashes between security forces and alleged followers of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Damietta, state-run newspaper al-Ahram reported.

The fighting broke out following a police raid in the village of al-Basarta to arrest supporters of the group accused of involvement in violence, the paper said citing an unnamed security official.

The official said that followers of the Muslim Brotherhood in the village shot at the security forces, who then returned fire.

One police officer and three alleged Muslim Brotherhood members were killed.

Police arrested 18 suspects and confiscated unlicensed weapons in their possession, according to the official.

Al-Basarta is a stronghold of backers of deposed president Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Earlier this week, the village saw clashes between security forces and Morsi's supporters.

In mid-2013, the Egyptian army toppled Morsi violently and illegally with a coup d'état, leaving nearly a thousand of innocent Egyptians dead. Mohammed Mursi was Egypt's first democratically elected president.

Months later, the government blacklisted the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.