A senior officer in Egypt's National Security apparatus was assassinated Sunday, the Interior Ministry said.

The late Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Mabrouk was responsible for investigating one of the cases of ousted president Mohamed Morsi as well as jihadist cells.

He was shot near his house in Cairo's eastern district of Nasr City on Sunday night. Sources told Al-Ahram's Arabic news website that Mabrouk was hit by seven bullets fired by unknown gunmen in a drive-by shooting.

Mabrouk was involved in the arrest of four Muslim Brotherhood members in August, including the group's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badei, sources told Al-Ahram.

The case Mabrouk was investigating charged Morsi of spying for the Palestinian Gaza rulers Hamas. Sources said Mabrouk remained in service in National Security during Morsi's term despite attempts to remove him.

Morsi was ousted in July by the Egyptian army after mass protests against him. The Muslim Brotherhood-led National Alliance to Support Legitimacy had expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue with the government this week, the first time it had not explicitly demanded Morsi's reinstatement as a condition for dialogue.

Egypt's National Security apparatus - previously named State Security apparatus - is infamous for leading political repression during the 30-year reign of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.