Egyptian army kills three militants in central Sinai raid

Egyptian soldiers have killed three highly dangerous militants in a raid in the central part of the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptian military said in a statement on Sunday.

The operation targeted the militants as they were about to carry out an attack on security forces, according to the statement published online by Egyptian military spokesman Colonel Tamer El-Refai.

Another suspected militant was arrested in possession of a large sum of money that was to be sent to terrorists, the statement said.

The Egyptian army is fighting an Islamist insurgency based in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula that has gained pace since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who emerged from the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation.

Militant activity in central Sinai is less frequent than in the more volatile north, where attacks targeting military and police checkpoints are commonplace.

Hundreds of security-forces personnel have been killed in attacks claimed by militants, while the military has killed hundreds of insurgents as part of its ongoing campaign to end the insurgency in the border region. Source: Ahram online