CAIRO - Egyptian authorities have arrested eight members of EgyptÂ’s strongest opposition group, the banned Muslim Brotherhood, north of Cairo in EgyptÂ’s Nile Delta, security sources said on Saturday. The arrests were the latest government steps targeting the Islamist group whose members, elected as independents, hold 88 seats in the 454-seat parliament. The Brotherhood is officially banned in Egypt but is allowed to operate openly within limits.Security sources said the eight Brotherhood members were arrested on Friday from their homes in the Manoufiya province, and were charged with belonging to an illegal organisation and possessing anti-government pamphlets. The Muslim Brotherhood confirmed the arrests on its Web site.
The arrests came less than a week after Egyptian authorities barred Brotherhood leader Mohamed Mahdi Akef from travelling to Saudi Arabia for a religious pilgrimage.
The Egyptian police regularly detain Brotherhood members for brief periods, often without charges. Hundreds were arrested in a crackdown following parliamentary lections held late last year. Most were later released.