CAIRO, Jan 22 (Aswat Masriya) Egypt's armed forces have destroyed nine tunnels in Northern Sinai's city of Rafah, an army spokesman said on Wednesday.

Spokesman Ahmed Mohamed Ali added that the forces have also foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons, goods and narcotic substances, in a statement published through the army's official Facebook page.

The Egyptian military has intensified its security crackdown in the lawless peninsula since August 2012 following an attack by unknown assailants that killed 15 conscripts in Rafah.

The army has carried out several operations to destroy tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.

The tunnel crackdown has a negative impact on the Palestinian Hamas authorities, which taxed much of the commercial goods and weapons that went through these underground passages from Egypt to Gaza Strip.

Egypt is currently waging an extensive security campaign in Sinai after militants have stepped up attacks that target army and police in the peninsula following the ouster of President Mohamed Mursi in July.