Eleven militants were killed in exchanges of fire between "terrorist elements" and the armed forces, according to a Monday statement by a military spokesman. The armed forces also destroyed 47 militant "meeting points", the statement read. Meanwhile, a police officer was killed on Sunday following an explosion targeting the armoured vehicle the officer was riding in Al-Arish, in North Sinai, according to an interior ministry statement. Security forces are still tracking down the perpetrators, read the statement. Insurgent activity in North Sinai increased markedly after the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Most attacks against police and military personnel in North Sinai have been claimed by militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis. The group has recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and rebranded itself as the "State of Sinai". The armed forces are launching an extensive crackdown on militants aiming to "ultimately eliminate terrorism" in North Sinai. The military spokesman had released another statement on Monday, noting that firefights with militants had resulted in the death of 10 militants and the arrest of 18 others. Heightened security measures in North Sinai include a three month state of emergency, the closing of the Rafah-Gaza border, and the establishment of a 1km ‘secure zone' along the border.
