Egyptian Armed Forces Eliminate 40 Extremists in Northern Sinai Within Week

40 militants were killed by Egyptian Armed Forces during the counterterrorism operation in the Sinai Peninsula, according to official statement.

CAIRO (Sputnik) – Egyptian troops eliminated 40 militants in north of the Sinai Peninsula within a week as part of the anti-terror operation carried out in the region, the country’s Armed Forces said Tuesday on their official Facebook page.

The troops also managed to detain five militants, destroy militants hideouts, shelters and transport of terrorists. The counterterrorism operation will be continued, according to the Armed Forces.

On Monday, Egyptian troops prevented a terror attack on one of the checkpoints near the city of Arish, Sinai. A vehicle with explosives tried to reach an overcrowded checkpoint but the path was blocked by a tank. Terrorists opened fire at servicemen and blasted the vehicle leaving seven civilians dead. According to the Armed Forces, the number of victims could have been much bigger.

Egypt has been fighting a jihadist insurgency in northern Sinai since the army overthrew then-President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Police and security forces have been the target of deadly attacks staged by Islamists in the area.

In 2014, Sinai's indigenous militants pledged allegiance to the Daesh group, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia. The Wilayat Sinai, the IS branch in Sinai, has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly attacks in the area.