43 militants killed during army raids in Egypt

Cairo: At least 43 militants were killed and 87 others arrested during the army raids in Egypt's Sinai district from March 16 to 21, military said on Sunday.

Forty three militants were killed in army raids in the period of 16-21 March, army spokesperson?Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said.

Samir added in his statement that 87 wanted and suspected militants were arrested, while 16 militants' headquarters were destroyed during the raids.

The army also recovered 95 unlicensed vehicles and motorcycles used by militants in their attacks against police and army personnel and were destroyed, he said.

Egypt's Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Over 500 security personnel have been reportedly killed since then.

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.