CAIRO, July 4 (Aswat Masriya) - Army forces killed eight militant extremists in a clampdown in the Sinai Peninsula on Thursday night, security sources said.

Security forces killed eight and arrested two in the crackdown, which was south of Sheikh Zoueid and Rafah, the sources told Aswat Masriya.

They also burnt down a motorbike with no number plates which the militants were using in their attacks.

Earlier on Thursday, army and police forces launched a crackdown in Sinai, killing 17 extremists.

Since former President Mohamed Mursi's ouster last July, militants in Sinai escalated their attacks on army and police forces and installations.

Islamist militants in Sinai have claimed responsibility for several attacks and bombings in Cairo as well as other cities.