Egypt army says 20 militants killed in Sinai operations

CAIRO — Egypt's army said on Wednesday it has killed 20 militant fighters in the latest round of military operations in the Western Desert and Sinai Peninsula.

The military launched a sweeping operation in February focused on the Sinai in eastern Egypt aimed at wiping out militants, including from the Daesh group, who have been waging a bloody insurgency.

Operations over the past few days had "resulted in the elimination of seven extremely dangerous" militants close to Egypt's western border with Libya, the army said in a statement.

It said 13 militants were also killed in shootouts with government forces during army raids in central and northern Sinai.

Security forces in Sinai had arrested 18 wanted suspected militants and destroyed 18 hideouts.

Militants launched an insurgency in Egypt after the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, forced out by the military in the face of mass protests against his rule.

Attacks have largely been concentrated in the Sinai Peninsula but militants have also struck elsewhere across the country.

The military says around 300 suspected militant fighters and at least 35 soldiers have been killed in the "Sinai 2018" operation.