Police and army forces began at dawn on Thursday a large-scale operation targeting terrorist and criminal hotbeds in Kerdasa and avenging the killing of 11 policemen in a Kerdasa police station massacre almost a month ago. The operation aims at arresting some 140 wanted criminals and seizing large quantities of advanced heavy automatic weapons hidden in the area, a security source told MENA. Two hundred combat units of the Special Forces and 40 formations of the Central Security Force in addition to Criminal Investigation Department forces and the Giza national security force are taking part in the operation in collaboration with army forces, the source said. The campaign began when the special forces and central security troops started raiding the bush lands surrounding Kerdasa as army forces besieged the desert hinterland of the entire area to prevent any of the wanted criminals from escaping and to provide protection for the police forces, he said. Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim pesonally supervised the operation\'s plan, giving directives that innocent residents\' security and safety be taken into consideration at all time during the campaign. Source: MENA