Egyptian army forces kill 14 militants in restive Sinai
Iran Press TV
Sun Dec 21, 2014 4:54PM GMT
Egyptian government forces have killed 14 militants and arrested 45 others during separate operations in the volatile Sinai Peninsula of the North African country over the past three days.
"Fourteen terrorist elements were killed in shootouts with army and police troops in northern Sinai between December 18 and 20," army spokesman, Brigadier General Mohamed Samir, stated on Sunday.
He added that Egyptian army troops also arrested 45 militants who had participated in "terrorist plots" against security forces during the period.
Samir said Egyptian soldiers destroyed 15 vehicles and eight motorbikes used by the militants.
A state of emergency has been declared in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula since a militant attack on an Egyptian army checkpoint killed more than 30 soldiers in October.
Residents living along the border between northern Sinai and the besieged Gaza Strip have been ordered to relocate. The Egyptian army is also razing over 800 houses in the area to create a wider buffer zone with Gaza.
The Egyptian military considers the Sinai Peninsula a safe haven for gunmen, who use the region as a base for their "acts of terror."
Since the ouster of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's former president, on July 3 last year, gunmen have launched almost daily attacks in Sinai, killing members of security forces.
MP/HJL/SS
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