16 militants die in Egyptian air strikes

Egypt’s military has destroyed dozens of targets, killed 16 extremists and detained more than 30 suspects as part of its latest operation against Islamic militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula, the army said.

Colonel Tamer el-rifai said that air strikes hit vehicles, weapons caches, communications centres and illegal opium fields in the raids, which began on Friday and came as a response to a rise in extremist violence in Egypt.

The air force “targeted and destroyed 66 targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks”, he said.

With North Sinai closed off for non-residents and journalists, the army’s casualty figures could not be independently confirmed.

Telephone connections to the area, both mobile and landline-based, are often shut down as well.

The operation, which targeted “terrorist and criminal elements and organisations”, involved land, naval and air forces.