Egyptian military planes broke the sound barrier in Cairo early on Monday morning, surprising residents, in what a military spokesman said was a test of the country’s air defence systems.

Startled Egyptians were woken at dawn as deafening military crafts circulated the skies of the capital.

Many mistakenly believed that the loud sounds were explosions.

However, an official spokesperson of the military said that the commotion was a result of aerial exercises intended to secure Egyptian airspace.

“I advise citizens not to be scared or disturbed,” Colonel Ahmed Mohamed Ali said.

The districts that were affected the most were Nasr City, Maadi, Shubra El-Kheima and Hadayek El-Qubba. The planes were also heard in other governorates, including Alexandria, Beni Sueif and Dumyat.

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