<p>Egyptian security forces arrested 11 people on suspicion of fabricating media content for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network, the interior ministry said Friday.</p>.<p>The suspects were allegedly found to be collaborating with members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group to create content that included a documentary on Egypt's troubled North Sinai region in exchange for large sums of money, the ministry said in a statement.</p>.<p>It said the suspects aimed "to undermine national security and stability by producing fabricated media reports... on the country's internal situation to spread rumours".</p>.<p>The investigations were handed over to the Supreme State Security Prosecution, the ministry added.</p>.<p>Security forces have been battling a long-running Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, spearheaded by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group.</p>.<p>The region is largely closed off to the media, except for rare visits supervised by the military.</p>.<p>Al Jazeera has in recent years been at the centre of a bitter political rift between Cairo and Doha since the 2013 military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood and was backed by Qatar.</p>.<p>The Egyptian government sees the network as a mouthpiece for the Brotherhood. Al Jazeera's website has been blocked in Egypt since 2017 and is accessible only via VPNs.</p>.<p>Authorities have also jailed thousands of Morsi's Islamist supporters in a crackdown that swept up other liberal and secular activists, including popular bloggers, actors, singers and journalists.</p>.<p>In June 2017, Egypt -- along with other Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- severed ties with Qatar over allegations that it supports "terrorist" groups, including the Brotherhood.</p>
<p>Egyptian security forces arrested 11 people on suspicion of fabricating media content for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network, the interior ministry said Friday.</p>.<p>The suspects were allegedly found to be collaborating with members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group to create content that included a documentary on Egypt's troubled North Sinai region in exchange for large sums of money, the ministry said in a statement.</p>.<p>It said the suspects aimed "to undermine national security and stability by producing fabricated media reports... on the country's internal situation to spread rumours".</p>.<p>The investigations were handed over to the Supreme State Security Prosecution, the ministry added.</p>.<p>Security forces have been battling a long-running Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, spearheaded by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group.</p>.<p>The region is largely closed off to the media, except for rare visits supervised by the military.</p>.<p>Al Jazeera has in recent years been at the centre of a bitter political rift between Cairo and Doha since the 2013 military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood and was backed by Qatar.</p>.<p>The Egyptian government sees the network as a mouthpiece for the Brotherhood. Al Jazeera's website has been blocked in Egypt since 2017 and is accessible only via VPNs.</p>.<p>Authorities have also jailed thousands of Morsi's Islamist supporters in a crackdown that swept up other liberal and secular activists, including popular bloggers, actors, singers and journalists.</p>.<p>In June 2017, Egypt -- along with other Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- severed ties with Qatar over allegations that it supports "terrorist" groups, including the Brotherhood.</p>