facebooktwittertelegramwhatsapp
copy short urlprintemail
+ A
A -
webmaster

AFP
Cairo
Egyptian warplanes killed suspected militants and destroyed eight vehicles they were using to smuggle weapons into the country from neighbouring Libya, the military said Monday.
Army spokesman Tamer el-Rifai said in a statement that the air strikes on the western border were part of operations to track down"terrorists"who killed 16 policemen in a shootout in the region last week.
Thirteen other policemen were wounded in clashes with Islamist militants during Friday's attack on the road between Cairo and the oasis of Bahariya in the Western Desert, said the defence ministry.
Security forces were sent to the area southwest of Cairo acting on information that militants there were"hiding, training, and preparing to carry out terrorist operations", according to the ministry.
The air force said its warplanes raided the border area,"foiling a new infiltration attempt"and destroying eight vehicles that were carrying"large quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosive material".
A military statement said those travelling inside the vehicles were killed during the operation, without specifying how many. Since the army in 2013 removed elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, extremist groups have stepped up attacks on the military and police in Egypt.
copy short url   Copy
24/10/2017
887