KERDASA, Egypt — Egyptian security forces backed by combat vehicles and helicopters stormed a town near the Pyramids, famed among tourists for its traditional rugs and dresses, aiming to drive out Islamist militants who held sway there for over a month.
After troops swept in, many residents of Kerdasa greeted the forces with cheers, women ululating, and others handing them soft drinks, one witness said. The assault, in which a police general was shot to death by militants, highlighted authorities’ stepped-up resolve to move against strongholds of armed supporters of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by the military July 3.
Kerdasa residents expressed fear that the security crackdown will drive out the militants only temporarily. They said nearby villages on Cairo’s western outskirts, which are home to some of Egypt’s well-known families with a history of militancy, will provide cover for those who took control of the town.
“I wish this had happened a month ago,” said Youssef Hussein, a resident of Kerdasa. “We have been living in a bubble. We thought we could die every day. Kerdasa has really been wrecked.”
The offensive showcases an Egyptian society in turmoil over Morsi’s ouster. The new military-backed leadership has been a wide-scale crackdown on his supporters, while the most hard-core elements of Morsi’s Islamist backers have unleashed a campaign of violence ranging from car bombs to attacks on Christians.
Militants took control of Kerdasa in mid-August, when a mob attacked the local police station, killed 15 police officers and mutilated their bodies, dragging some by cars, scalping at least one and pouring acid on another.
