Egypt Says 7 Troops, 59 Militants Dead in Sinai Security Sweeps

(Bloomberg) -- Egypt’s military said at least seven members of the security forces and 59 militants have been killed in recent operations in the restive north Sinai Peninsula.

Among the service members killed was one officer, the military said in a statement on the armed forces spokesman’s Facebook page. It didn’t provide a detailed timeline of the operations, but said that it also secured arms caches and vehicles, and destroyed hideouts.

The Arab world’s most populous nation has waged a fierce battle against militants, some of whom are affiliated with Islamic State. It’s part of a broader crackdown on Islamists which began with the 2013 military-backed popular uprising that pushed the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi from the presidency.

The announcement comes days ahead of the eighth anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak from power.

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