On the 12th day of the extensive armed operation "Sinai 2018", the military spokesperson announced Thursday seven military personnel killed during the ongoing armed operation, while another six personnel have been wounded. Military Spokesperson Tamer El-Refaei said that 71 militants were killed during the operation as well, and another five extremists arrested. El-Refaei added that air forces have destroyed 11 sites that were reported as dens for militants, while the artillery force destroyed another 413 sites. He also stated that 1852 individuals were arrested, some of them released after checking their criminal record. According to the statement, a number of TNT and C-4 explosives have been found and confiscated, in addition to destroying 1282 hideouts and three tunnels. Meanwhile, Egyptian and French naval forces have started a joint military exercise that will last between 20-23 February, dubbed as "Cleopatra 2018", in the Egyptian regional waters, according to the statement. The Egyptian army participates in the exercise with some new weapons such as the Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Dock and submarines. The exercise includes several activities in the context of the planned joint exercises between the Egyptian armed forces and friendly countries to exchange expertise and raise the efficiency of the forces participating in these exercises, the statement read.
