6 terrorists, 4 soldiers killed in Egypt's North Sinai

Cairo: Six terrorists and four soldiers were killed during army operations in Egypt's extremism-infested North Sinai, military officials said today.

Three militant hideouts, two vehicles and three unlicensed motorcycles used by them in their attacks against police personnel were also destroyed, military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement.

A number of suspected militants were also arrested during the army operations in Al-Arish, Rafah and Shiekh Zwayed in North Sinai, it said.

The army operations are part of the retaliation campaign launched to avenge the recent attack that killed 12 soldiers in the region.

Egypt has witnessed a series of terrorist attacks which targeted policemen, judges and military personnel in different parts of the country.?

Since the 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak, North Sinai, which is the base of a number of extremist outlaw groups, became the main stage of many violent attacks by takfiri gunmen.

The attacks even increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following massive protests against his rule.

Over 700 security personnel have been reported 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.