Seven extremists were killed on Saturday morning in a gunfight with the security forces in North Sinai governorate, according to a statement from the military’s spokesperson, Tamer El-Refaei.
The statement said that the seven extremists amongst others attacked a security checkpoint. The attack resulted in “killing and injuring a military officer and 14 others”.
El-Refaei added that the security forces are tracking the escaped terrorists to eliminate them.
Egypt is currently battling several armed groups, concentrated mainly in the Sinai Peninsula, since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
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 with the Islamic State group and has launched deadly attacks on army and police checkpoints.
On 9 February, Egypt’s security forces launched the extensive military operation in Sinai, aiming at targeting dens and ammunition storages that are being used by terrorists, according to the first statement from the armed forces. The operation includes naval, air, and infantry forces.
