At least eleven people killed in south Egypt bank robbery

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Heavily armed bank robbers engaged in gunbattles with police and fired at bystanders, leaving at least eleven people dead, before escaping with $361,000, police said.

The robbers, whose number and identity were unknown, first tried to attack one bank in Maragha, 245 miles south of Cairo, but fled after shooting and killing a policeman, the Ministry of Interior, which oversees police in Egypt, said.

The robbers, armed with machine guns, moved next to the National Bank of Egypt in Maragha. A resulting exchange of fire there between policemen guarding the bank and the robbers killed two policemen, two bank staffers and one of the robbers.

Then fleeing robbers fired at bystanders, killing five. They escaped in a truck wth the money, the ministry said in its statement. A total 11 people were injured in the exchanges.