Army raids kill 10 militants in Egypt

At least 10 militants were killed and 18 others arrested during Egyptian Army raids in the country's restive North Sinai governorate, army spokesperson said today.
The militants were killed during exchange of fire yesterday as they were targeting army checkpoints, Egyptian Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said.
He said 87 hideouts and shelters belonging to militants were also destroyed, adding that 15 of those accommodations were built underground and used by militants to hide and to spy on the army.
Samir said 12 vehicles and 41 unlicensed motorcycles, used by the militants in their attacks against army and police personnel, were also destroyed.

North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since January 2011 revolution that toppled the former President Hosni Mubarak.
The militant attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-President Mohamed Morsi last year. Over 500 security personnel have been reported killed so far.
Egypt has declared a three-month state of emergency and imposed curfew in different parts of North Sinai following two terror attacks that left at least 31 Egyptian soldiers killed last month.
The military 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.