2nd LD Writethru: Egypt's army kills 98 militants in Sinai

Egypt's army killed at least 98 militants Friday in a "major military operation" against the Islamic State group in the Sinai Peninsula, military spokesman Mohamed Samir said in a statement.

"In resuming its efforts to eliminate terrorist elements around North Sinai, the air forces in coordination with the artillery and navel forces have killed 98 jihadists," the statement added.

The army launched the operation dubbed "the martyr's rights" on Monday morning around the North Sinai towns of Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid and El-Arish.

The death toll of the militants has reached 232 since Monday.

According to the statement, 13 explosive devices were defused, four vehicles and seven motorbikes used by the militants in assaulting the security forces were destroyed during the fifth day operation.

As many as 23 terrorists have been arrested and 88 weapons warehouses were destroyed, the army added.

During fire exchange with the extremists, four soldiers were killed, and another three officers were wounded on Friday operation, the statement added.

Egypt has been battling a surge of anti-security attacks in Sinai Peninsula since the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, in response to mass protests against his rule.

The government said hundreds of police and soldiers have been killed, many of whom in attacks were claimed by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group, which has changed its name to "Sinai State" and declared allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) militant group last year.

In response, the army has launched a wide-scale operation to uproot the militants' hideouts in the Peninsula since 2013.

The militant attacks, which were based mainly in Sinai, has crept into the capital and some of the Delta cities. The IS affiliate in Egypt has also targeted foreign missions last month.

The militants said they are avenging a government crackdown on Islamists which has left nearly 1,000 killed.

However, many civilians were also killed in the attacks.

Earlier on Friday, a suicide car bombing killed a woman and her seven-year-old child Friday in the North Sinai's town of Rafah, bordering Gaza Strip.

The bomb went off where the army troops combed the area in a sweeping campaign against terrorist elements.

Four civilians were also wounded during the explosion, as the suicide bomber was targeting an approaching military convey, an official security source in Sinai told Xinhua on conditions of anonymity.

"The martyr' rights" operation came days after the Sinai State released a video documenting its attacks on the military in Sinai, including footage of a wire-guided missile strike that destroyed a navy vessel.

Continuous massive military operations in the peninsula have killed hundreds of militants as part of the country's "war against terrorism," the army said. Enditem