The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the drive-by shooting that left at least eight police dead in Cairo on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Sunday’s attack in the south Cairo district of Helwan was in retaliation for the jailing of women by the “apostates in Egypt”, according to a statement ISIS released. Egyptian Streets could not independently verify the authenticity of the statement or the claims made by the terrorist group.

Prior to ISIS’ claim of responsibility, one Facebook page which goes by the name ‘Popular Resistance Egypt‘(‘المقاومة الشعبية_ مصر’) claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it was intended to mark 1,000 days since the dispersal of pro-Morsi protesters at Rabaa Al-Adaweya.

Translation: In a security operation facilitated by God (SWT), a group from the caliphate’s army carried out an attack on a bus carrying eight apostates from Egypt’s police in Helwan, south of Cairo, and managed, with the help of God, to shoot and kill them all, including Lieutenant Mohamed Hamed. The mujahideen returned to their posts safely, with all thanks and gratitude to God, and this operation comes as part of a series of operations for [slain ISIS leader] Sheikh Abu Ali Al Anbari and in retaliation for the pure women in the jails of the apostates in Egypt. 

Initial reports had indicated that the assailants were waving ISIS flags as they carried out the attacks but these claims could not be independently verified.

ISIS has claimed a number of attacks in Egypt and elsewhere, including the downing of the Russian plane last October, which killed all 224 passengers on board, and the series of attacks in Paris that left more than 100 people dead in November.

A statement released by Egypt’s Ministry of Interior confirmed reports of the attack, adding that the police personnel had been involved in routine security patrols and were in a microbus when they were attacked by unknown assailants riding in a pick-up truck. The Ministry of Interior said that at least five people were involved in the attack. Four of the attackers were hiding in the box of the pick-up truck before opening fire.

The Ministry of Interior also identified all the victims in the attack as: Lieutenant Mohammed Hamed and policemen Adel Mustafa Muhammed, Ahmed Hamed Mahmoud, Alaa Hussein Eid, Saber Abu Nab Ahmed, Ahmed Marzouk Tammam, Dawoud Aziz Farag, and Ahmed Ibrahim Adellah.

A military funeral, led by Egypt’s minster of interior, was held for the slain policemen on Sunday.

Funeral prayer for 8 Egyptian policemen killed by Islamic State group in Helwan pic.twitter.com/8MzAawhbwA

— Samer Al-Atrush (@SameralAtrush) May 8, 2016

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