The Egyptian police say they have arrested one-hundred members of two outlawed Islamic groups - the Muslim Brotherhood and the Jihad.

The men were detained in the town of Dayrut, three-hundred kilometres south of Cairo.

The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mostafa Mashhour, said he could not confirm the report.

He said the police often arrested people and released them later.

The arrests followed the reported execution on Sunday of three members of the militant group Gama't al-Islamiya.

The men were accused of plotting killings in a bid to topple the government.