By Kenneth Changpertitum
Seven militants and one soldier were killed in an army raid near the village of Sheikh Zuweid in Sinai on Tuesday evening, an army statement said Wednesday.
The statement described the attack as “a continuation of the efforts of the armed forces in eliminating the roots of terrorism,” in the Sinai.
Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said there were no civilian casualties.
The raid is the most recent incident of the string of violence between government forces and militants in Sinai that has seen a surge since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
The latest attack by militants occurred Sunday night in Al-Arish, resulting in the deaths of seven civilians and one security officer.
When asked about the progress of rooting out militants, Samir said: “No one can guess the time for this, but for the Egyptian army this is no obstacle. We will go after them until we finish all of them.”
The Al-Qaeda inspired group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis has claimed responsibility for a large number of last years’ attacks in Sinai, including numerous bombings, missile launches, and shootings. The majority of the attacks were directed at army and security forces, incidentally tourists were targeted as well.
