NORTH SINAI, Mar 30 (Aswat Masriya) - Six suspected militants were killed in clashes with security forces south of Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai, security sources said on Monday.

Sources said 21 "extremists" were arrested in the clashes, including suspects in road bombings and security personnel's assassination. 

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

Amid intensified campaigns by Egypt's military to fight the insurgency, hundreds of suspected militants have been killed in the past few weeks alone.

According to weekly announcements by the armed forces spokesman, 158 suspected militants were killed in the first three weeks of March and 173 were killed in February, in operations involving helicopter strikes, raids and foiled suicide attempts.