Egyptian Military Reveals Details And Numbers Of Its Anti-Terrorist Operation In North Sinai

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On December 12^th, Colonel Tamer Rifai, a spokesman for the Egyptian Armed Forces, presented the 30th statement regarding the progress of the operation:

• In Northern Sinai, the Egyptian Air Force targeted and destroyed a 4×4 vehicle hiding inside a farm and an ammunition store. Furthermore, the Air Force struck and destroyed a car, in which several terrorist elements were riding. A total of 61 4×4 vehicles were destroyed on the western and southern borders. 3 terrorists were eliminated;
• The national security forces killed 24 terrorists in northern and central parts of the Sinai Peninsula, within the area of operation of the 2nd and 3rd Field Armies. A large number of weapons, ammunition and communications equipment were also seized;
• A total of 403 suspects and criminals were arrested;
• Military engineers discovered and detonated 344 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the area of operation;
• The military discovered 342 terrorist hideouts, where the forces confiscated large amounts of ammunition and explosive devices, motorcycles, and food in north and central Sinai. The statement added that another 27 vehicles and 83 motorcycles, used by terrorists, were also confiscated;
• Naval forces are carrying out their planned missions in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea;
• Border guards strengthened security measures along the border areas in all strategic directions. Their operations have resulted in the seizure of 2750 bullets, 2423 kilograms of cannabis substance, 6,246 kg of bananas and 700,000 anesthetic tablets. In a joint operation with the Egyptian Ministry of Interior 80 kg of heroin were also seized;
• Border guards have thwarted the infiltration of 2833 individuals of different nationalities;
• Border guards have seized 76 vehicles and vessels, as well as 4 motorcycles used in smuggling, 5 devices used for mining and 9 tons of stones blended with gold ore. 4 tunnels have been discovered and destroyed in North Sinai in cooperation with military engineers.

Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018 was initiated on February 9, 2018, by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who charged Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid Hegazy and Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar with eliminating all terrorist groups from Sinai. The area of the operation is northern and central Sinai, parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert.

In July 2018, Armed Forces spokesperson Tamer El-Refaie gave an intermediate progress report of the Comprehensive Operation. Then, the miltiary declared the following:

• As a major achievement the operation re-established normal living conditions for residents and the restoration of security in areas cleansed of terrorism;
• Egyptian security forces had confirmed the death of the ISIS Sinai Province commander Mohamed Abdel-Latif Abu Jazr, aka Abu Jafar Al-Maqdisi, this was the second high-level assassination in ISIS ranks;
• On April 18^th, the leader of the terrorist organization in central Sinai, Nasser Abu Zaqoul, was killed during an exchange of fire with the Third Field Army;
• Between February and July, Egyptian armed forces had killed more than 321 terrorists and confiscated more than 1000 IEDs;
• The operation was reportedly successful in cutting arms and ammunition supply lines to terrorists;
• The establishment of the North Sinai buffer zone was being worked on, there were no news included to claim whether it was completed;
• And the Egyptian armed forces were working on a sophisticated system to limit communication between terrorist elements;
• A total of 460 militants and over 30 soldiers have been killed in the “Sinai 2018” anti-terror campaign since it began in February.

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