The Associated Press reports: Security forces backed by armored vehicles and helicopters on Monday stormed a town south of Cairo that had been held for over two months by militants loyal to the ousted Islamist president, swiftly taking control despite some resistance from gunmen.

Local activists Adel Shafiq and Ezzat Ibrahim said a joint force of army and police rolled into the town of Dalga, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) south of the Egyptian capital, before dawn on Monday. They said there were about 10 minutes of intense gunfire, followed by sporadic shots as government forces began house-to-house searches to arrest militants.

A total of 88 suspected militants were arrested out of a list of 312 who were wanted, according to security officials in Minya, the province in which Dalga is located.