Egypt's military said Sunday (March 11th) that 16 extremists, an officer and a soldier had been killed in the past four days during a major military operation targeting "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) militants in Sinai, AFP reported.
The army launched a sweeping campaign after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in elections for his second term this month, gave them a three-month deadline to crush ISIS in Sinai.
Al-Sisi issued his ultimatum in November after suspected ISIS gunmen massacred more than 300 worshippers in a Sinai mosque.
The military says it has evidence ISIS has sought to move elements to Sinai following its defeats in Iraq and Syria.
