Egyptian army kills 29 militants in major operation in North Sinai

The Egyptian army said it has launched a major anti-terror operation in North Sinai, killing 29 jihadists, official MENA news agency reported Tuesday.

The military operation targeted terrorist hotbeds in the cities of Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid and Arish, the Armed Forces said in a statement late Monday.

Terrorist hideouts, vehicles and equipment were destroyed in the raid, the statement said.

An army officer and a soldier were killed and four others were injured when a roadside bomb went off during the operations, it added.

Egypt has witnessed anti-government attacks that have left hundreds of police and army personnel dead or injured after the military ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013 in response to protests against his rule.

Most of the anti-state attacks were claimed by the "Sinai State," an Islamic militant group based in Sinai and affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group.

Source: XINHUA