By Yusri Mohamed

CAIRO, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Egyptian police stormed a Muslim Brotherhood conference and detained 30 members of the country's largest opposition group in a raid in the northeast, sources in the group said on Saturday.

Muslim Brotherhood parliamentarian Farid Ismail said police beat people with batons and destroyed his offices where the conference was being held in Sharqiya province.

The raid and detentions took place on Friday night as the men were attending an annual meeting hosted by Ismail for his constituents, he said.

Police initially detained around 40 men, but only 30 were brought before local prosecutors, and Muslim Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moniem Abdel Maqsoud said it was possible some had been released.

Ismail said there had been about 1,500 Muslim Brotherhood members in attendance and that, due to lack of space, the crowd had spilled into the street.

Ismail said he had tried to obtain security clearance to hold the conference at a local club but had his request ignored.

The Brotherhood's website said prosecutors ordered the 30 men released, but that they were still in custody.

Egyptian police frequently disregard court rulings ordering detained members of the country's political opposition set free.

The government calls the Muslim Brotherhood a banned organisation although the group operates openly and fields independent candidates in parliamentary elections. It won a fifth of seats in 2005 parliamentary polls.

Political analysts say the government wants to stop the Brotherhood from mounting a serious political challenge to President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, and police often detain members for long periods without formal charges. (Writing by Aziz El-Kaissouni; Editing by Charles Dick)

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