Security forces announced they killed five "militants" Friday morning during security campaigns in North Sinai, reported Al-Ahram's Arabic news website. An informed security source told Al-Ahram that the army's special forces killed three "militants" while exchanging fire, and another two who were riding a motorbike in village south of Rafah. According to Al-Ahram, 15 radical Islamists, allegedly members of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, were also arrested. Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis recently pledged allegiance to Islamic State and changed their name to Welayat Sinai ("State of Sinai"). Egypt's security forces have been facing a decade-long jihadist militant insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, with militant attacks increasing over the past year and expanding into Cairo and the Nile Delta, killing hundreds of army and police personnel. The military has killed and arrested hundreds of militants. Civilians have also been caught up in the violence. Source : Ahram online
