The Egyptian Armed Forces said on Monday that it killed a suspected militant in North Sinai and arrested six others. Military spokesperson Tamer El-Refaei said this came amid operations to lead counterattacks against militants in Sinai. The military further said it destroyed two dens, car bombs, motorcycles, explosive materials, and communication tools belonging to extremists. These operations come in light of the continued unrest in the governorate. El-Refaei provided an update on his official Facebook page, detailing the latest on "the law enforcement forces' efforts to combat terrorism in the past few days," stating that the Second Field Army and the air force had cooperated to accomplish a variety of goals. In a different context, El-Refaei denied to local media outlets the reports by the New York Times that Israeli forces are operating in Sinai. The report said that the Israeli military conducted 100 airstrikes, something that the Egyptian military completely denied. In 2016, military forces killed hundreds of militants in the restive north of the Sinai Peninsula, while dozens of military and police personnel lost their lives in the process. In 2014, the Egyptian Armed Forces launched its counter-insurgency campaign targeting militants in North Sinai. The violence in the area still represents a chronic headache for the current regime. Since 2013, following the ouster of Islamist former president Mohamed Morsi, "Sinai Province" has launched dozens of deadly attacks against army checkpoints. A state of emergency was first declared in North Sinai by then-interim president Adly Mansour, who came into power following Morsi's removal from office. It was last extended.
