Two suspected senior leaders of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in North of Sinai have been killed in an army airstrike, according to an Egyptian armed forces statement.
The military added on Sunday that other suspected terrorist elements were killed in the army airstrike which targeted a terrorist hideout. The statement noted that the recent strike followed certain intelligence over the gathering of a number of terrorists and their leaders in their hideout.
The statement declared the killing of 44 suspected terrorists in different operations by the armed forces and another 15 by security forces as well as the arrest of 142 criminal elements.
Furthermore, the statement added that the air forces targeted and destroyed 106 vehicles and 4x4s which terrorists used in their movements and potential attacks.
The comprehensive military operation ‘Sinai 2018’ was launched in February last year, aimed to combat terrorism and confront militants in central and north Sinai, the Nile Delta region, and the Western Desert.
Since October 2014, a state of emergency has been declared in north Sinai. The governorate has been facing several terrorist attacks since 2013, targeting hundreds of security personnel, mostly carried out by the IS terrorist group in Sinai.
