The Egyptian military says it has launched missile strikes from helicopters against suspected Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula.
Military spokesmen said the initial operation had been a “success” and that it was ongoing.
Twenty people were killed in the village of Touma, according to military officials in Sinai, while the Sheikh Zuwaid area to the west was also hit.
On Sunday, militants killed 16 Egyptian border guards in the area.
After that attack – the deadliest and most brazen against Egyptian troops in this border region for decades – Israeli forces said they killed some of the militants who broke through into Israel.
There has been a heavy military build-up around al-Arish, correspondents report, and Egypt’s Rafah border crossing to Gaza has been indefinitely closed as security forces hunt the remaining attackers.
Egypt is also said to have begun sealing off the illicit smuggling tunnels into Gaza – reportedly sending prices of key goods soaring in Gaza.
BBC has the full article
