Egypt's army has announced that it has killed eight suspected militants in North Sinai, as part of its ongoing anti-jihadist operations.Military spokesperson and Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said on Sunday that army forces killed "eight terrorists following exchange of fire during the raid [on Saturday]".
The army also arrested 13 suspects for "carrying out attacks on armed forces sites," according to Samir's statement on his official Facebook page.
He also said forces have destroyed 24 "terrorist sites.”
Egypt's government had declared a three-month state of emergency in parts of North Sinai on 24 October following deadly militant attacks that killed at least 32 security forces.
The army has also enforced a strict daily curfew from 5pm to 7am.
The army has evacuated over 1,100 families living within 500 metres of the Rafah – Gaza border in order to create a buffer zone. The government has announced that it will pay compensation to the displaced residents.
The army has been combating a decade-long jihadist insurgency in Sinai, with attacks increasing over the past year and expanding into Cairo and the Nile Delta. Hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed, while the army says it has killed and arrested hundreds of jihadists. Civilians have also been caught in the violence.
The most prominent of the jihadist groups that have claimed responsibility for the previous attacks in Sinai is Al-Qaeda-inspired Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis.
Last week an explosion went off next to North Sinai governorate headquarters in Al-Arish. No casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, Reuters' Aswat Masriya reported on Thursday that unknown assailants shot four civilians in Al-Arish dead.
