Egypt’s army said Monday it has killed six militants during several raids in North Sinai, only a few days after a number of Coptic families fled the governorate following a spate of killings of Christians by militants.
In an official statement, army spokesman Tamer El-Refai said security forces in North Sinai conducted several raids on terrorist hideouts, killing six and arresting 18 suspects.
Two storehouses used to hide explosives and eight improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were seized and deactivated by the forces.
“Law enforcement forces will continue carrying out their mission with determination to extract the roots of terrorism and eliminate terrorist elements,” the statement read.
Egypt’s army and police forces have been waging a war over the past three years against an Islamist militant insurgency in North Sinai. Hundreds of security personnel and militants have been killed in the violence.
The army’s announcement comes after a number of Coptic families left the governorate’s city of El-Arish, following a series of killings targetting Christians in the last week. Seven Christians have been killed in North Sinai in the last month.
Last week, the Islamic State militant group released a video in which it claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a church in Cairo in December, and called on its supporters to attack Christians across the country.
Several days after the video was released, three Christians were murdered in El-Arish.
118 displaced Coptic families were rehoused by the government to four governorates, according to a report released by the Cabinet on Sunday.