Egyptian security forces kill 11 militants in Sinai

CAIRO: Egyptian security forces killed 11 militants from a local affiliate of the Islamic State group based in the restive North Sinai region, the interior ministry said Tuesday.

The militants, armed with weapons and explosives, were killed in a shoot out during a raid on their hideout near a police station in the provincial capital El-Arish, the ministry said in a statement.

According to intelligence fom the national security department, the militants used the hideout as "a base to launch their hostile operations," it added. Egypt has for years been fighting an insurgency in North Sinai, which escalated following the military´s 2013 ouster of president Mohamed Morsi following mass protests.

Since then, hundreds of police officers and soldiers have been killed in attacks. In February 2018, the army launched a nationwide operation against the militants, focusing mainly on North Sinai.