Egypt s police said on Wednesday that they killed five terrorists during a raid in North Sinai, a statement by the interior ministry read.
The ministry said that the terrorists were killed in a shootout as forces attempted to raid their hideout, which is located in a remote area in El-Arish.
Weapons, including an improvised explosive device and a suicide belt, were found at the scene by police.
The raid came following monitoring operations by the ministry s national security department, which said that the terrorists planned to execute a number of attacks against vital and important institutions and figures.
Meanwhile, Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has renewed a night-time curfew in designated areas of North Sinai for three months, according to the official state gazette on Wednesday.
The curfew is in effect from Tal Rafah in the eastern part of Sinai to the international border at Rafah, and from Halal Mountain until Ouga on the border.
An announcement in the official gazette stated that the curfew runs from 7pm until 6am, except in Al-Arish city and on the international road, where it runs from 1 am to 5am, or until further notice.
The decision by Madbouly comes just a few days after Egypt s parliament approved an extension of a nationwide state of emergency for three months starting 15 January.
Egypt first saw the announcement of a three-month nationwide state of emergency in April 2017, following twin bombings at two churches in Gharbeya and Alexandria, which killed at least 47 and wounded over 120.
