Egypt military says 11 militants killed, 5 injured in North Sinai

Tuesday 06-09-2016 05:08 PM

A previous military campaign in North Sinai - Facebook page of military spokesperson

CAIRO, Sept. 6 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's armed forces said on Tuesday that eleven 'takfiris' were killed and five others were injured in a shootout with security forces in North Sinai.

In its statement, the military said that 19 "wanted criminals" were arrested and three warehouses containing smuggled goods were destroyed in al-Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi extended the state of emergency imposed in parts of the restive Sinai Peninsula for another three months starting mid-July.

The state of emergency was first declared after a militant attack in October 2014 killed 33 security personnel.

The Islamic State-affiliate Sinai Province group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Egyptian military says it has killed hundreds of "terrorists" in the context of the "Martyr’s Right" military operation which was launched by the security forces also in response to the Oct. 2014 attack.

North Sinai militants have stepped up attacks targeting security forces since the military ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

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