An Egyptian military brigadier general was shot dead on Saturday in front of his house on the outskirts of Cairo, Ahram Arabic website reported, quoting his wife.

Gunmen opened fire on Adel Rajaei, an armoured division commander in Dahshur, south of Cairo.

The wife said that a military funeral will be held today after evening prayers at El-Mosheer Tantawy Mosque in New Cairo.

The brigadier general had previously been deployed in North Sinai, where the army is fighting Islamist insurgency.

Authorities have not yet released any official statement on the attack.