Egypt’s military announced on Monday it has killed 14 militants and arrested ten others in a raid in central Sinai.
The operation, which took place over the past five days, resulted in destroying three car bombs and 10 other explosive devices and seizing weapons, communication devices and military clothing, the army spokesman added.
An Islamist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula has gained pace since the military toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s oldest Islamist movement, in 2013 following mass protests against him.
Sinai Province, the militant group behind the insurgency, pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014. It is the most active insurgent group in Egypt. It has been linked to a number of deadly attacks, mostly in North Sinai, but also in the capital, Cairo, and other provinces.
Militant activity in central Sinai is less frequent than in its more restive north, where ISIS attacks on military and police checkpoints are common.