One soldier and 19 militants have been killed in the third day of Egypt's air and ground operation in North Sinai in response to an "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) attack, Egypt's Ahram Online reported Tuesday (October 18th).
Air forces pounded 31 militant hideouts and arms caches, while ground and special forces raided a number of other targets, killing 19 militants, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Samir said in a late Monday statement.
One Egyptian soldier was killed at dawn Monday, he said.
The military launched fresh raids against militants in the region after a Friday attack on an army checkpoint in the Bir al-Abd area west of al-Arish claimed by ISIL affiliate Wilayat Sinai killed 12 soldiers and wounded at least six others.
The army said it killed 33 other militants during air and ground raids on Saturday and Sunday.
