Two alleged extremist militants along with two suspected extremist supporters were arrested in a military raid in North Sinai on Monday, according to a statement by the Egypt’s military spokesperson, colonel Tamer El-Refaei.
The statement said that the military forces destroyed two nests where extremists were hiding. The forces detonated a bomb that was alleged to be used in an attack on the army. The military found five vehicles in possession of the militants. In addition, forces destroyed three vehicles in the middle of Sinai, according to the statement.
Since 2013, state security forces, represented by both the army and the police, have been engaged in violent clashes with “Sinai Province”, a group previously known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis. In 2014, the group declared its affiliation to the IS and has launched deadly attacks on army and police checkpoints.
Over the last two years, the Egyptian armed forces have launched counterattacks against the militants, stationing points across the Sinai Peninsula, where the group is based in the cities of Sheikh Zuweid, Rafah, and Al-Arish.
The sophistication of the militant group has dwindled, with fewer systematic attacks on checkpoints and military headquarters. They now continue to employ low-profile guerilla-warfare tactics that have been increased and that have caused casualties.
