CAIRO, May 9 (Aswat Masriya) - A total of 725 suspected militants have been killed by Egyptian security forces between late October and late April, the armed forces spokesman said on Saturday.

The operations started on October 25, 2014, a day after militant attacks left over 30 security personnel dead, with the deadliest month in the campaign being February in which 173 suspected militants were killed.  

Armed forces spokesman Mohamed Samir said in a statement that 1873 suspects and 206 wanted individuals were arrested.

Samir added that 1823 headquarters, hideouts and gathering points for militants were destroyed, as well as over 2,000 vehicles.

Heavy and light weapons were seized during the operations, including mortars, anti-tank mines, 1.5 tonnes of explosive materials and improvised explosive devices.  

Militancy inside Egypt has seen a significant rise since July 2013, with most attacks targeting security forces in North Sinai.

A state of emergency and a night-time curfew have been in place in parts of North Sinai since the October attacks. 

In a speech in celebration of the Sinai Liberation Day last month, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Sinai faces terrorism that bears "malicious intentions," adding that the armed forces and the police have been waging "battles" there.