Official spokesperson of the armed forces Tamer al-Refai announced on Thursday that over the first six days of the comprehensive counter-terrorist military operation ‘Sinai 2018’, 53 terrorists had been killed, while 137 targets had been destroyed, and 680 “criminal elements” – who are suspected of aiding or working alongside terrorists – have been arrested.
The Armed Forces have destroyed 378 hideouts used by terrorists for storing medical and logistic substances, arms, and explosive materials. One of the hideouts contained a media center, revealed Refai.
Security forces are seeking to eliminate the presence of terrorism in Egypt by pursuing terrorist hotbeds from North Sinai and central Sinai, as well as in the Delta and the west of the River Nile.
Forces are working to prevent terrorists distributed across the country from communicating with those in North Sinai, in order to mitigate the threat and maintain security in the Egyptian mainland.
Meanwhile, Refeai added that the armed forces neutralized 177 explosive devices, seized 1,500 kgm of the highly explosive C4 and TNT, and confiscated 57 four wheel drives alongside 88 motorcycles.
In addition to this, three tunnels on the North Sinai border have been destroyed, discovered in cooperation with border guards and military engineers.
The armed forces have also discovered 35 narcotics farms and seized 8.3 tons of narcotic substances, as well as 1.2 million narcotic tablets, Refai noted.
