Egypt’s army declared tentative victory in a crackdown on Islamist militants in Sinai Wednesday, hours after state television reported the military killed 20 militants in unprecedented air strikes.
The campaign to uproot the militants was launched on Tuesday, two days after gunmen ambushed a border guard outpost near Israel’s border and killed 16 soldiers, the military said in a statement.
“Elements from the armed forces and interior ministry supported by the air force began a plan to restore security by pursuing and targeting armed terrorist elements in Sinai, and it has accomplished this task with complete success,” it said.
It would continue “continue implementing this plan,” it added in a statement, which did not provide details of the operation. State news agency MENA gave a conflicting account of how the militants were killed, however.
“Terrorist elements fired rockets and shells and heavy machine guns… at the aircraft combing the area, but did not hit the aircraft, and ground forces then dealt with them and killed a number of them,” the agency reported.
The reported air strikes in Tumah village — the first in the peninsula for decades — came as security forces massed near Rafah on the Gaza border for what they called a decisive confrontation with the militants.
A senior military official in Sinai confirmed the state television report and said “20 terrorists were killed” in Apache helicopter raids and when soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division stormed Tumah.
He said the militants were trying to escape when the helicopter targeted their vehicles.
Other security officials in the north of the peninsula reported air strikes near the town of Sheikh Zuwayid, close to the village.
Overnight, unknown assailants attacked four security checkpoints near the town of El-Arish, security officials said.
The interior ministry said three policemen were wounded.
The strikes came a day after the military held a funeral for the 16 soldiers who died in Sunday’s attack amid widespread calls for vengeance.
