Egypt conducts major military operation in Sinai, 89 terrorists killed

Cairo: – The Egyptian army killed 89 militants in an operation in the Sinai province. It was reported by the Egyptian military. The Egyptian military said eight of its soldiers were killed in the encounter. The army also said it destroyed 13 tunnels connecting the Sinai province and the Gaza Strip.

The military is cracking down on militants based in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which divides the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. IS and Hamas militants are said to be hiding under the disguise of Palestinian refugees in Sinai. Therefore, military action in Sinai is essential for the security of Egypt as well as Israel.

According to the information released by the Egyptian army on Sunday, IS terrorists in Sinai were recently targeted. An Egyptian military spokesman said 89 IS militants had been killed in the operation. It also destroyed 404 IEDs, four suicide vests and 13 tunnels.

The military says the tunnels were used to infiltrate into Egypt. However, the Egyptian army refrained from announcing the exact day of the military operation.

In February 2018, the Egyptian army had launched an operation against IS in the Sinai province. A total of 1,060 militants and a minimum of 100 soldiers had been injured in the encounters. Local human rights groups and the media have criticised the Egyptian military’s crackdown on IS and other terrorist groups.