4 Egyptian soldiers, 10 terrorists killed in Sinai raids

CAIRO - Four Egyptian troops were killed and three others wounded in anti-terror raids in the restive North Sinai province, the army said in a statement on Sunday. 
Ten terrorists were killed in the anti-terror raids, said the military spokesman in a statement. 
"The forces destroyed 145 terrorist dens, hideouts and storehouses and busted and destroyed a workshop for making explosives as well as 39 explosive devices planted to target the forces," it added. 

The raids are part of Egypt's recently launched "Sinai 2018" comprehensive anti-terror campaign, which have killed 105 terrorists, arrested about 3,200 suspects half of whom have been released after investigation and destroyed more than 1,400 terrorist hideouts and weapon storehouses since it started on Feb. 9. 

At least 14 soldiers were killed and 16 injured in the raids so far. 
Adjacent to the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Egypt's North Sinai province has been the center of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests. 
Attacks later expanded to reach several other provinces including Cairo and started to target the Coptic minority via church bombings and shootings. 

The terrorists further targeted a mosque in North Sinai's Arish city last November, killing at least 310 Muslim worshippers and injuring more than 120 others, which marks the deadliest terror attack and the first against a mosque in Egypt's modern history. 
The Sinai-based branch of the Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group claimed responsibility for most of the terror operations in Egypt over the past few years. 
Following the mosque attack, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered the army to restore security and stability in North Sinai within three months. 

The Egyptian security forces killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested thousands of suspects during the country's anti-terror war declared by Sisi, the army chief then, following Morsi's ouster in 2013. 
"Sinai 2018" came weeks ahead of Egypt's presidential elections scheduled for late March, where incumbent President Sisi is expected to make an easy win for a second four-year term due to the lack of strong challengers in the race. Enditem