The military spokesperson declared on Sunday that the army had killed 18 militants in security operations that allegedly “secured and established control over Mount Halal in Central Sinai.”According to a statement from the army, the operation started by gathering intelligence from security forces and local citizens. Mount Halal lies in central Sinai and stretches to Al-Naqab desert in Israel. The only source about the raid remains the detailed army statement published on Sunday. Since 2013, state security forces, represented in both the army and the police, have been engaged in violent clashes with Sinai Province, known previously as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis. In 2014, the group declared its affiliation to IS and has launched deadly attacks on army and police checkpoints.

Source: Daily News Egypt April 02, 2017 15:33 UTC