News / Egypt

Egyptian warplanes kill 22 militants in Sinai Peninsula: Military

Wednesday, 02 March 2016 11:25 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 02 March 2016 11:23 AM ]

This file photo shows an F-16 fighter jet operated by the Egyptian Air Force.

Security sources in Egypt say nearly two dozen Takfiri militants have been killed in an airstrike against a militant base in the country’s restive Sinai Peninsula.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft targeted a training camp for members of the Velayat Sinai militant group south of the town of Sheikh Zuweid, situated 334 kilometers (214 miles) northeast of the capital, Cairo, on Tuesday evening, leaving 20 extremists dead and 30 others injured, Arabic-language Arabi Press news website reported.

The incident came only two days after unidentified assailants fatally shot four Egyptian policemen in the country’s northern province of Qalyubia as the latter were conducting an anti-drug operation in the area.

A citizen got caught in the exchange of gunfire between Egyptian police forces and armed men, and lost his life. Police have launched a search operation to arrest the attackers.

Separately, masked gunmen shot dead an Egyptian police officer as he stood in front of his house in the city of el-Arish, situated 344 kilometers (214 miles) northeast of the capital. The victim was later identified as Captain Abdullah Khalil.

Sinai Peninsula has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, following a deadly terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 33 soldiers.

Over the past years, militants have been carrying out anti-government activities and deadly attacks, taking advantage of the turmoil caused in Egypt after democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military in July 2013.

Velayat Sinai terrorists have carried out most of the attacks, mainly targeting the army and police.

In November 2014, the group pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which is wreaking havoc mainly in Iraq and Syria.

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