Egypt— Authorities in Gharbeya the hometown of the MB new Chairman Dr Mohamed Badie have arrested at least 9 members of the movement in a new crackdown on the group's

Senior Egyptian Islamists arrested early this week are accused of forming militant cells, newspapers reported on Thursday, while Human Rights Watch called the arrests a blow to free elections.

State prosecution has issued a 15 day detention order to the MB leaders who were arrested recently in the ruling regimes latest sweep against the opposition.

At 8:00pm on Wednesday Cairo Time Aljazeera Live channel will be hosting Dr. Mohamed Morsy, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood Guidance Bureau and the MB's media spokesman.

The latest sweep against the MB leaders has harvested much disdain and contempt by numerous activist and human rights members.

At least a dozen senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested in raids throughout the Cairo area. The detained included deputy Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Izzat.

Mr Badie is a 66-year-old veterinary pathology professor. His election by the Brotherhood's Executive bureau is widely thought to mark a return to conservatism and a possible pullback from politics

Police have rounded up several prominent leaders of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest opposition movement, sources with the group confirm.

The MB asserted that these arrests would not change the path they have chosen for the development of the nation and they will continue their struggle with all available peaceful

Egyptian police arrested 13 members of the Muslim Brotherhood including Mahmoud Ezzat, the groups deputy leader in overnight raids in six provinces.