Sixteen militants were killed and 94 others arrested in military raids by the Egyptian army in the North Sinai province during the period of August 30 to September 3, a military spokesperson has said.
The army has destroyed 6 tunnels, 20 vehicles and 55 motorcycles used by militants in attacks targeting police and army, Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement yesterday.
The military raids targeted terroristic areas in the Egyptian governorates of Ismailia, Sharqeya, Kar El-Shiekh, Alexandria and cities in North Sinai, the statement added.
On Wednesday, the Sinai-based militant group Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for killing 11 policemen, including a police officer.
Eleven Egyptian policemen were killed on Tuesday and four others injured when a bomb blast struck their vehicle in North Sinai's Sheikh Zuwayed.
A video posted online by the militant group, showed an armoured vehicle being bombed as a voice in the background cheers and vows for victory.
North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by Islamist militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak.
Islamist militant attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of president Mohammed Morsi last year.
Many policemen and soldiers have been killed in the attacks which included bombings and shootings.
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.
