Egypt military says 40 militants killed in Sinai campaign

Egypt's military said it has killed more than 40 militants in a wide-ranging campaign in the Sinai Peninsula where the Islamic State group has been waging a deadly insurgency.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

25 July, 2017

Egypt has been battling an insurgency in the Sinai region [AFP]

More than 40 militants were killed by the Egyptian military in a wide-ranging campaign in the Sinai Peninsula where the Islamic State group has been waging a deadly insurgency.

A military statement said "40 extremists" were killed in the week-long campaign against the militants.

A military source told AFP that soldiers were staying put in locations they cleared of the militants, rather than withdrawing as in past campaigns.

"After storming terrorist hideouts, the soldiers are staying there," the source, who requested anonymity, told AFP.

"The terrorist elements are fleeing and leaving their weapons behind," he added.

Days earlier, the military said at least 30 "extremely dangerous" militants were killed in the operations involving the army, air force and police.

The military did not specify to which group the militants belonged.

Five others were arrested as Egyptian forces imposed a "tight siege" on the North Sinai provincial capital el-Arish and the cities of Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah, a military statement said.

The announcement came a day after seven civilians were killed in a foiled attack on a checkpoint with an explosives-laden car.

An army tank had intercepted the vehicle and driven over it, almost flattening it, before the explosives went off, according to a video released by the army.

The Islamic State group has waged deadly attacks on the military and police, most recently on a checkpoint in Sinai on July 7 that killed at least 21 soldiers.

But the military, which killed the leader of the group's affiliate in Egypt last year, claims it is closing in on the militants.

Militants launched an insurgency in Sinai after the military overthrew the divisive Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

They have maintained a steady war of attrition with sniper attacks and roadside bombings.

But unlike their parent organisation in Iraq and Syria, they have been unable to seize population centres in the peninsula bordering Israel and Gaza.

Agencies contributed to this report.