Army kills 47 takfiris in Sinai, arrests 158 criminals, suspects

CAIRO - 17 May 2019: Egypt's General Command of the Armed Forces has announced eliminating 47 takfiris in northern and central Sinai and seizing several rifles and improvised explosive devices, a military statement said.

The forces arrested 158 wanted criminals and suspects, the statement read, adding that legal proceedings are underway.




Military engineers discovered and detonated 385 explosive devices that were planted to target the Armed Forces. They could also discover and destroy two tunnel openings in cooperation with border guard forces.

The forces destroyed a number of 33 vehicles and eight motorcycles having no number plates, which were used by terrorist elements during raids.

The Air Force destroyed 97 four-wheel drive vehicles on different strategic directions.

Concerning the seized weapons, the statement announced seizing 585 rifles of different types, two submachine guns, 80 automatic rifle saves and 2088 bullets of different types.

The army announced seizing 646 kilograms of hashish, 7,707 kilograms of hemp, and 10 kilograms of opium. It also managed to seize 633,000 prohibited drug pills and destroy 102 feddans of poppy and hemp and 257 kilograms of seeds of poppy and hemp.



Moreover, the army could thwart the attempt of 1048 people of different nationalities to illegally immigrate through different strategic borders.

In February 2018, under the title "Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018", Egypt's Armed Forces launched a comprehensive military operation targeting the hotbeds of terrorists in Northern and Central Sinai.



Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi authorized the army chief of staff to use “brutal force” against terrorism.