Ten Egyptian security forces have been killed during an anti-terror operation in central Sinai after their vehicles were targeted by bombs, according to albawaba.com.
A military spokesman said in a statement Thursday that security forces killed 15 people and arrested seven others in the course of the operation on a militant base in the peninsula.
The security forces also found and destroyed half a ton of TNT explosive, and seized two vehicles containing hand grenades and hundreds of mobile phones, the statement added.
The Sinai Peninsula has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, following a deadly attack that left 33 Egyptian soldiers dead.
Over the past years, militants have been carrying out anti-government activities and fatal attacks, taking advantage of the turmoil caused in Egypt after the democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted by the military in July 2013.
Daesh-affiliated militants have claimed responsibility for most of the assaults, mainly targeting the army and police.
