Cairo: At least 23 militants were killed today in airstrikes by army on militant hideouts in Egypt's restive North Sinai, a day after heavily-armed IS terrorists launched simultaneous suicide attacks on army checkposts in the Peninsula, killing at least 70 people, mostly soldiers.
The raids took place just south of the border town of Rafah, a security official said.
The airstrikes come a day after heavily-armed IS militants launched a wave of simultaneous suicide attacks on army checkpoints in the Sinai Peninsula, killing at least 70 people, mostly soldiers, in the biggest assault and triggering a massive retaliatory strike by the military using troops and F-16s.
The army yesterday published photos of the killed militants, wearing army overall on his Facebook page.
Early today, the army launched air strikes on militant headquarters in North Sinai cities, killing 23 fighters, raising the number of militants killed to 123, security sources said.
Meanwhile, a policeman was killed after unknown gunmen opened fire on him here, a security source said.
The gunmen, who were riding a motorcycle, escaped while the policeman was transferred to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
North Sinai?has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January, 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak.
The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.
Over 600 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.
