Egyptian army says it killed 20 jihadists in Sinai and on Libyan border

Egypt’s army said Wednesday it had killed 20 jihadists in the latest round of military operations on its porous border with Libya and in the Sinai Peninsula.

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

Operations over the past few days had also “resulted in the elimination of seven extremely dangerous” jihadists close to Egypt’s western border with Libya, the army said in a statement.

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

The statement from the military also said its forces had destroyed 18 hideouts and weapons depots, dismantled 41 explosive devices and arrested 83 suspects. It also destroyed 39 vehicles containing weapons and ammunition in the Western Desert via airstrikes.

It wasn’t possible to independently confirm the claims as access to the areas is heavily restricted.

Jihadists 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 jihadists and at least 35 soldiers have been killed in the “Sinai 2018” operation.