3 militants killed, 10 arrested in security raids in Egypt's Sinai
Xinhua, July 1, 2015 Adjust font size:
At least three militants were killed and ten others arrested on Tuesday during security raids in Arish and Sheikh Zuweid cities of Egypt's restive North Sinai, security sources in the peninsula told Xinhua.
"The campaign destroyed and burnt down five buildings, a car spare parts warehouse and seized three vehicles belonging to the militants," said the sources.
State-run Ahram news website reported that Tuesday's confrontations left five militants killed and 19 suspects arrested.
The security campaign came one day after the assassination of Egypt's Prosecutor General Hesham Barakat in a car bombing in Cairo, and it coincides with the second anniversary of June 30 mass protests that led to the overthrow of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Similar military raids last week killed over 33 extremists and wounded 30 others in the Sinai Peninsula.
The extremists are believed to be loyalists of the Sinai-based, al-Qaida-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) militant group, which has changed its name to "Sinai State" and vowed loyalty to the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group.
Terrorist activities mounted in Egypt since Morsi's ouster by the army in July 2013 and the following security crackdown on his loyalists has left over 1,000 killed and thousands more arrested.
On the other hand, hundreds of police and army personnel were killed in attacks carried out by extremists and self-proclaimed Islamists since Morsi's removal.
In its annual report released in late May, Egypt's National Council for Human Rights said that the violence since Morsi's removal has resulted in the death of 2,600 people, including 700 police and army men, 550 civilians and 1,250 Brotherhood members and supporters. Endit