At least 21 terrorists have been killed in retaliatory strikes carried out by the Egyptian army to avenge a recent militant attack in the restive North Sinai province, military said on Saturday.
The military operation was part of a retaliation launched by the army to avenge the last week’s militant attack that killed 12 soldiers in North Sinai, military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said. Twenty-one takfiri terrorists were killed and 24 hideouts as well as 40 motorcycles used by militants destroyed in the operation on Friday, he said.
Earlier, on Friday, a statement by the Ministry of Interior said that two policemen were killed and conscript was injured in a roadside blast in Al-Arish city of North Sinai.
Egypt’s North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January, 2011 revolution that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.