Egypt forces kill 4 militants amid Sinai operation

By Hussein Qabani

CAIRO

Egyptian security forces killed four militants and detained scores as part of an ongoing security operation in the restive Sinai Peninsula, according to a military spokesman on Sunday.

In a statement, Col. Tamer al-Refai said warplanes struck and destroyed two militant hideouts during operations over the past days, but without specifying the location.

Without elaborating, the spokesman said three militants were killed in central Sinai and another was killed in northern Sinai.

He said 252 suspected militants had been detained as part of the ongoing operation.

At least 167 militants have been killed since the security operation against militants blamed for a string of attacks across the country began on Feb. 9.

At least 24 soldiers have also been killed, while around 3,700 people have been detained.

The Sinai Peninsula has remained the epicenter of a militant insurgency since 2013, when the army ousted Mohamed Morsi -- Egypt's first freely elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood leader -- in a military coup.