1 soldier killed, 6 wounded in Egypt's Sinai blasts

At least one Egyptian conscript was killed and six others wounded on Sunday in two blasts targeting security forces in restive North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, a security source told Xinhua.

"A conscript died following the explosion of an improvised explosive device that targeted a security armored vehicle while it was combing terrorist dens at Al-Gora town southern Sheikh Zuweid city of North Sinai," the source said on condition of anonymity, noting two others were wounded in the first blast.

Another blast wounded four conscripts also in Sheikh Zuweid city and they were sent to nearby Arish hospital for treatment.

The attacks came one day after the Egyptian security forces launched a massive security campaign in the chaotic province that left at least 100 militants killed and 40 others injured.

Meanwhile, the military spokesman said in a statement Sunday that the armed forces have started an intensive security operation to comb and raid a number of hiding places of militants in North and Central Sinai.

Earlier on Friday, at least 12 soldiers were killed after gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint in North Sinai, while 15 of the assailants were killed in confrontation with the security forces.

Egypt has been fighting a growing wave of anti-government terrorist attacks since the military removed former Islamic president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Hundreds of police and military men have been killed in anti-government attacks over the past three years with a Sinai-based militant group loyal to the Islamic State (IS) regional group claiming responsibility for most of them.

Overall, the security forces killed about 1,000 militants and arrested a similar number of suspects in North Sinai as part of the country's "war against terrorism" declared by then military-chief and now President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi following Morsi's ouster. Endit