11 terrorists killed in north Sinai

Security forces raided one of the most dangerous terror hotspots in North Sinai and engaged in a heavy fire exchange with terrorists, which left 11 Takfiri elements killed. During the armed confrontation, terrorists used automatic rifles and RPGs against the security forces. After the raid, Third Field Army forces seized RPG shells, eight locally-made rockets, a Grad missile, five hand grenades, seven boxes full of ammunition, a military uniform and a set of records and documents related to the civil police, including phone numbers. A chemical laboratory was also uncovered, where three kilograms of high explosive TNT, an explosive belt, chemicals used in making bombs and training books on the use of IEDs were found. Security forces detained eight infiltrators – six Palestinians, a Jordanian and an Egyptian - after coming out from a smuggling tunnel near an uninhabited house in Rafah. They also destroyed 18 smuggling tunnels in Rafah and recovered to-be-smuggled spare parts and goods from within. They also seized from the tunnels eight unlicensed cars and seven motorbikes and unearthed three wells holding nearly three tons of diesel fuel. Border guards at Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel in the governorate seized a truck with 256 kg of bango (locally produced marijuana) and amounts of cocaine. A fishing boat north of Hurghada was also impounded after 46 sacks, weighing 2.5 tons, of bango were found on board. Twenty-four Syrians who were trying to illegally sneak into the country via sea were arrested in west of Port Said. Also 35 infiltrators from different nationalities were arrested in southern Salloum border crossing in the far west of the country.