Italy's interior minister Angelino Alfano said Sunday that Egyptian investigators in the case of slain Italian student Giulio Regeni agreed to extend the investigation after pressure from Rome, AFP reported.

Last Thursday, Egypt's interior ministry said they found belongings of Regeni in an apartment linked to a gang that the ministry says specialised in robbing foreigners, after police killed all the alleged gang members in a shootout.

"It is important that in the face of our emphasis on the quest for truth, the Egyptians changed tack in a few hours and told us that their investigations are continuing," Alfano told the Corriere della Sera newspaper, according to AFP.

"Our investigators should be directly involved, participating in questioning and evidence gathering... Our input is essential,” Afano said on Sunday.

"I repeat to Giulio's parents and to the Italian public that the Italian government will get the name of the murderers."

Egypt is still investigating the case, questioning relatives of the killed gang members, for whom the prosecution has issued an arrest warrant.

On Friday, Italian investigators said "there is no definitive element confirming" the alleged gang’s involvement in Regeni’s death, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Later the same day, the Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Twitter, "Italy insists: we want the truth."