4 Egyptian troops killed in Sinai clashes

By Hussein Mahmoud

CAIRO (AA) – At least four army troops have been killed in clashes with militants in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptian military said.

In a Sunday statement, military spokesman Brigadier-General Mohamed Samir said clashes broke out when troops carried out security raids in the northern Sinai Peninsula.

Six militants were killed in the violence, the spokesman said.

On Saturday, two army troops, including a top commander, were killed in a roadside bomb in North Sinai.

Northern Sinai has seen an uptick in militant attacks recently in which dozens of soldiers were killed.

Since mid-2013, when Mohamed Morsi -- Egypt’s first freely-elected president -- was ousted in a military coup, hundreds of Egyptian security personnel have been killed in Sinai amid an ongoing militant insurgency.

Egyptian security forces, meanwhile, have continued to wage a fierce campaign, involving elements from both the police and army, against what they describe as Sinai-based "terrorist groups".

Egypt’s army-backed authorities say they are battling the "Welayat Sinai" ("Province of Sinai"), which is said to have links to the Daesh terrorist group.