Egyptian armed forces managed to thwart a terrorist operation planned by Islamist militants against military checkpoints in North Sinai's Sheikh Zuweid, security sources said Friday. Security sources said, on condition of anonymity, that military Apache launched an air strikes targeting a group of militants within a small farm in a village south Sheikh Zuweid, while they were preparing for a large attack on armed forces. The air strike caused the death of at least 26 militants and dozens others injured, sources added, indicating that a number of car bombs were in possession of the militants and they all went off during the strike.