Egypt rights group says 754 extrajudicial killings in 2016

CAIRO – An Egyptian rights group that treats victims of torture says extrajudicial killings by security forces have surged, with 754 people killed so far this year.

The Nadeem Center said Wednesday that it has documented the cases based on print, online and social media reports.

Aida Seif el-Dawla, a psychiatrist and one of the center's co-founders, says most of the killings took place in the troubled Sinai Peninsula, where security forces have been battling a powerful local affiliate of the Islamic State group.

Egyptian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Authorities have ordered the Nadeem Center shut down over its human rights advocacy but the center is still operating. It has issued past reports on torture in Egypt that were at odds with official accounts.