mobanmarketCairo – Egyptian security forces have killed 15 suspected militants in a shootout in restive north Sinai, the interior ministry said Sunday.
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A militant group was “planning hostile acts targeting military and police forces…in order to destabilise national security”, the ministry said in a statement.
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It did not name a specific group, but said “terrorist elements” had been hiding in a farm in Al Arish, the capital of North Sinai province.
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When forces approached, “the militants shot live rounds forcing troops to deal with them (and) leading to 15 deaths”.
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Graphic pictures of the bodies of the alleged militants were sent along with the Sunday press release.
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Authorities also said they found a small trove of stashed weapons including an explosive belt, several rifles and an explosive device.
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The ministry did not specify when the reported shootout took place, but Sunday’s announcement follows recent military operations in Sinai that authorities say killed 118 suspected militants.
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Nine soldiers were killed and one wounded in those “counter-terrorism” operations, a military statement said on Friday.
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President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi paid tribute to the dead personnel in a series of tweets late Friday, describing “terrorism” as a “cancer still trying to kidnap the nation”.
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In February 2018, Egypt’s military launched a nationwide offensive against militants, focused mainly on North Sinai, where Daesh still has a significant presence.
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Some 665 suspected militants and around 60 soldiers have been killed since, according to official figures.
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