Egypt's interior ministry announced on Monday that the country's police forces had killed five terrorists and arrested six others during a broad and coordinated State Security operation spanning three different governorates. According to the statement, the five terrorist deaths came as State Security forces located and raided a terrorist hideout in the desert area between 10th of Ramadan city and Belbies in Egypt's Delta governorate of Sharqiya. As police forces approached the hideout, terrorist elements began firing at security forces, prompting a shootout that killed five terrorists who are currently being identified, the statement added. Police forces also seized firearms, ammunition, IED's and other explosives in the hideout. The wider operation also resulted in the arrest of six terrorist elements at hideouts in the vicinity of the Cairo and Assiut governorates, according to the statement. These developments come as part of nationwide efforts to pursue and eradicate terrorist elements which aim to disrupt security and stability in North Sinai and other Egyptian governorates, the statement read. Egypt has been battling Islamist militant groups, mainly concentrated in the restive northern part of Sinai, over the past years years.