Police forces declared on Sunday the detention of 41 individuals in different security campaigns. Most of them are suspects, while 41 of them are fugitives involved in different misdemeanours, according to the Ministry of Interior.
According to state-owned agency MENA, a police campaign led by the North Sinai Security Directorate managed to arrested 41 fugitives who are wanted and convicted in different cases, including forgery and several administrative violations. The arrested individuals will be interrogated and sent to the prosecution, while others will be sent to prison as they had previously been sentenced already.
On Saturday, the armed forces announced that a suspect was arrested as he was allegedly observing the activity of the military in central Sinai.The suspect was arrested by members of the third army, who also destroyed eight hideouts and seven storage rooms allegedly used by the militants.
In a different context, local media reported on Sunday that two policemen, a lower ranking officer and a coscript, were killed in an IED explosion in Al-Arish. The bomb targeted their APC. Meanwhile six other personnel were injured and are being hospitalised.
On Saturday also, two army soldiers were killed by sniper fire in two different incidents.
Forces from the Egyptian military and the police have been battling in North Sinai for nearly four years against militants calling themselves “Sinai Province”, who are affiliated with the so-called Islamic State group.
Near the end of July, the military said that clashes between army forces and militants at several outposts in southern Rafah killed around 40 militants and led to the destruction of six cars used by militants in the attack. During the last National Youth Conference, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said that operations against militants are still ongoing.
A state of emergency in North Sinai was first declared in 2013 by then-interim president Adly Mansour, who came into power following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. It has been extended following this year’s extremist attacks on Coptic churches during Palm Sunday.
