17 militants killed, 62 suspects arrested in Egypt's Sinai

At least 17 militants were killed and 62 suspects arrested on Thursday as part of a massive operation launched by the Egyptian security forces in restive North Sinai province, a military official said.

"The forces also defused 53 explosive devices planted to target the armed forces, burned down 42 huts and dens of the terrorists, destroyed 16 vehicles and 13 motorbikes without plates and ruined seven warehouses belonging to terrorist elements," Brigadier-General Mohamed Samir said.

Thursday's raids mark the 11th day of the large-scale security operation in North Sinai that left hundreds of militants killed and a similar number of suspects arrested.

On Wednesday, a police general was shot dead by unknown militants riding a vehicle and a soldier was also killed during a separate fire exchange with security forces in North Sinai.

On Sept. 14, the Egyptian security forces killed 12 people including eight Mexican tourists by mistake while chasing militants with similar 4x4 vehicles near Bahariya Oasis in the country's Western Desert.

Egypt has been suffering anti-government armed attacks that killed hundreds of security men since the military removed former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests. Later crackdown on Morsi's supporters left more than 1,000 dead and thousands more arrested.

Earlier in August, a car bomb explosion targeting a national security building in Qalioubiya province near the capital Cairo left at least 29 people injured. The country's prosecutor general was also assassinated in a car bomb in late June.

Most of the anti-government attacks were claimed by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group, which has changed its name to "Sinai State" and declared loyalty to the Islamic State (IS) regional militant group.

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