Two men were killed in a shootout with police in Mit Hamal village, Bilbeis, Sharqia, as officers moved to arrest them on drug and weapons charges.[1] Both were 25 and unemployed: Mohamed R. M., nicknamed Sonqor, and Abdel Fattah A. M., nicknamed Bouha, from Mit Hamal.[2] Police said both had previous drug and firearms cases, were wanted under court orders, and used farmland next to their homes as a base.[2] When officers reached them, the men opened fire and police returned fire, killing both at the scene.[1]

According to the police account, officers found 20 slabs of hashish weighing about 1,500 grams and 2 kg of hydro, a hydroponic cannabis product.[2] Beside the second lay a shotgun with erased numbers and two cartridges.[1] A plastic bag of shotgun cartridges was also seized.[2] Officers also seized cash, mobile phones and a sensitive scale.[3] The bodies were taken to the Bilbeis hospital morgue.[2]

The Sharqia Security Directorate mounted the operation as part of a campaign against drug traffickers.[2] The public prosecution in Bilbeis, headed by Ahmed Shawqi, opened an investigation.[2]