CAIRO (AA) – Egyptian police forces reportedly killed 11 suspected militants in the restive Sinai Peninsula on Monday, according to the official MENA news agency.
MENA said the militants were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the North Sinai city of Arish.
The news agency said that the militants were planning attacks against security forces in the area.
Egyptian authorities have yet to confirm the report.
The Sinai Peninsula has remained the epicenter of a militant insurgency since mid-2013, when Mohamed Morsi — Egypt’s first-ever freely elected president — was ousted in a military coup.
Since February, Egyptian security forces have been waging extensive operations against militants in Sinai and western Egypt suspected of carrying out a series of recent attacks.
According to figures released by the military, around 400 militants and 37 military personnel have so far been killed in the operation, which remains ongoing.
