70 militants killed in Egypt army raids

CAIRO: Seventy militants in Egypt were killed in army raids during the last week, the military said today.

Apart from the 70 killed, 118 wanted and suspected militants were arrested from March 1-7, while 27 militant bases were destroyed, army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said.

He added that 108 vehicles and motorcycles used by militants in their attacks against police and army personnel were also destroyed.

Egypt's Sinai region has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Over 500 security personnel have been reported killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.