The Egyptian military killed 16 dangerous militants during an exchange of fire in Sinai and arrested three militant leaders since Wednesday, as part of the ongoing Sinai 2018 counterterrorism operation, according to military spokesperson Tamer Al-Refaie. In an official statement, which is the 15th since the beginning of the operation, the military said that 12 "takfiri" militants were killed during a shootout with security forces, which resulted in the killing of a military conscript and a non-commissioned officer, with one officer, a non-commissioned officer and four conscripts injured. The militants were in possession weapons and satellite communication devices. The three leaders were arrested in mountainous areas in central Sinai and the armed forces further seized and destroyed six vehicles and 32 motorcycles. The statement also added that the Egyptian Air Force destroyed nine targets used by terrorist elements, including a hideout, a water tanker, and three booby-trapped 4×4 vehicles. Egypt's Armed Forces launched early in February the extensive military operation in Sinai. The operation, Sinai 2018, includes navy, air, and infantry forces. It aims to target "dens and ammunition storages that are being used by terrorist elements," according to a previous statement from the armed forces.
