4 militants killed in military raids in Egypt's Sinai

At least four militants were killed during military air raids in Egypt's North Sinai Province bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, the military spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.

The raids in the central area of North Sinai also destroyed a pickup and a motorbike belonging to the extremist elements and seized two vehicles loaded with material believed to be used for making explosive devices, Military Spokesman Tamer al-Refaay said.

Anti-government terror attacks in Egypt have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the mid-2013 military removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

Later, security crackdown on Morsi's supporters left hundreds dead and thousands arrested, while his Muslim Brotherhood group was designated as a "terrorist organization."

Most of the terrorist attacks nationwide, particularly those in Sinai, have been claimed by a Sinai-based group loyal to the regional Islamic State (IS) militia.

To pressure the government, the IS started to expand terror operations to target the Coptic Christian minority in the capital Cairo and other provinces nationwide.

In April, IS-claimed bombings at two churches in Gharbiya and Alexandria northern provinces that killed at least 47 and wounded over 120. A similar suicide bombing at a Cairo church in December 2016 killed at least 28 worshippers.

Security campaigns in Sinai have killed hundreds of militants and arrested a similar number of suspects over the past few years as part of the country's anti-terror war declared by former army chief and current President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi following Morsi's removal. Endit