Egypt Military Says 36 Militants Killed In Sinai

Egypt's military said Monday that soldiers and police have killed 36 militants over five days as part of a sweeping operation against Islamic State group in the Sinai.

Cairo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Mar, 2018 ) :Egypt's military said Monday that soldiers and police have killed 36 militants over five days as part of a sweeping operation against Islamic State group in the Sinai.

The army launched the campaign on February 9 after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in elections this month for his second term, gave it a three-month deadline to crush IS in Sinai.

Security forces "eliminated 30 armed takfiri elements during a shootout with raiding forces" in the northern and central Sinai Peninsula, the military said in a statement.

A police shootout also left six "takfiri elements" dead and destoyed "an extremely dangerous terrorist cell", it added.

Over the past five days, soldiers also arrested 345 people "including a number of extremely dangerous takfiri elements and fugitives," it said. Sisi issued his ultimatum in November after suspected IS gunmen massacred more than 300 worshippers at a Sinai mosque associated with Sufi Muslim mystics.