Four "takfiris" were killed by the Egyptian Armed Forces in northern and central Sinai, army spokesperson Tamer El-Rifay said in a statement on Wednesday, as comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018 continues into its second week. The military forces also arrested 112 wanted criminal elements and destroyed 13 vehicles, four hideouts and 350 weapons caches. The term "takfiri" refers to Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims and members of other religions of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them. "The army targeted and destroyed a communication center used by terrorists," the statement said. The statement also said that army engineers had uncovered and diffused 41 IEDs, which were planted to target security forces during operations. "The army's artillery targeted 179 sites for terrorists during the operations," the statement added. El-Rifai's statement is the 11th military communiqué on the sweeping counter-terrorism operation since it began on 9 February. In previous statements, the army announced it had also located and seized a number of farms used to grow illegal narcotics. Since the beginning of the operation, a total of 69 takfiris have been killed and hundreds of criminal suspects have been arrested, according to military statements. Operation Sinai 2018 was launched on 9 February involving land, naval and air forces, as well as the police and border guards. The operation targets "terrorist and criminal elements and organizations" in northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert.
