(AFP Photo)
At least eight militants were killed and 12 others injured in Sheikh Zuweid in an airstrike launched by the Egyptian army Wednesday, according to state-run newspaper Al-Ahram citing security sources.
Five others were killed Tuesday in Al-Arish, according to several media outlets, although the Military spokesman is yet to release a statement on the matter.
Military operations in North Sinai targeting militants aim “to ultimately eliminate terrorism” in the restive peninsula where militants launch many attacks targeting security personnel and facilities.
The latest and largest of these attacks was on 29 January, when the Sinai-based militant group, “State of Sinai”, launched attacks in Al-Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid, targeting checkpoints and security facilities.
The group claimed the attacks via their official Twitter account, which has frequently been suspended. It released a statement Monday claiming a list of alleged attacks over the past month, including the targeting of checkpoints, military vehicles and the killings of conscripts.
North Sinai has been witnessing a rising insurgency since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
The group has been aiming to recruit North Sinai residents for months through distributing leaflets containing decapitation threats if they collaborate with the armed forces. In the leaflets, the group also called for the residents to take their side, according to residents in the area.
“State of Sinai” has performed a series of decapitation operations against civilians for being “informants” to the Egyptian army.
