Cairo - Egyptian police arrested 31 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group ij the early hours of Wednesday, security sources said. They were accused of affiliation to a banned group.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which has been illegal in Egypt for more than half a century, scored a major success in parliamentary elections in 2005.

Its candidates - standing as independents - won almost 20 per cent of seats in the parliament dominated by President Hosny Mubarak's National Democratic party. (dpa)