1 militant killed, 30 arrested in Egypt's Sinai

A suspected militant was killed and 30 others were arrested in raids by the Egyptian army during the past two days in the restive North Sinai governorate, army said today.
A total of 13 unlicensed motorcycles and vehicles, which were used by militants in terror attacks against army personnel, were destroyed, army spokesperson Mohamed Samir said, adding 30 militants were arrested.
Unidentified militants attacked an army checkpoint near Rafah in North Sinai yesterday and fired two mortar shells, he said. No deaths or casualties were reported.
In a separate incident yesterday, the army shot dead a man and injured another when they did not stop their car at a security checkpoint in North Sinai's Al-Arish.

Investigation showed that the car did not belong to the duo. A probe is on, Samir said.
The army spokesperson also said three Palestinians were arrested when they attempted to enter Egypt unofficially.

Egypt's Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak.
The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi last year.
Over 500 policemen and soldiers, have been killed in the attacks.
Militant groups claim their attacks are in retaliation for a government crackdown targeting Morsi's supporters that has left hundreds dead and thousands jailed.

The government declared a three-month state of emergency and a curfew in different parts of Sinai following a terror attack that left at least 31 Egyptian soldiers killed in October.
The army has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.