Eleven alleged militants were killed on Tuesday in a fire exchange with the security forces in a farm in Al-Arish, North Sinai, according to a Tuesday’s statement by the Interior Ministry.
The National Security Agency learnt that a group of terrorist elements were hiding in a farm in El-Obour district in Al-Arish, the ministry said.
The farm was used by the suspects for planning hostile operations, the ministry disclosed. It added that the forces stormed the farm when the militants opened fire extensively against the forces so the security responded and killed them all.
Two explosive devices, machine guns, an explosive belt were confiscated in the farm, the ministry noted.
Earlier this month, 22 people were killed and dozens were injured in a deadly car bomb explosion in front of the National Cancer Institute in Cairo.
Since the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt has been battling an insurgency in North Sinai, mostly led by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group’s branch in the region.
The IS attacks targeted police and armed forces as well as minority Christians, as hundreds were killed and injured in the past few years.
Since October 2014, a state of emergency has been imposed in North Sinai. Egypt’s army and police have launched a comprehensive campaign to confront militants in central and North Sinai, the Nile Delta region, and the Western Desert.
