10 soldiers killed in twin blasts in Egypt

Ten Egyptian soldiers and 15 militants were killed when two bombs exploded during raids on Islamic State terrorists in the country's restive Sinai Peninsula, the military said on Thursday. The 10 army personnel, including three officers, were killed in two roadside bomb blasts that targeted two army vehicles during raids on terrorists in central Sinai, military spokesperson Colonel Tamer el-Refa'e said. He said that 15 militants were also killed and seven militants arrested during the raids in central Sinai. North and Central Sinai have witnessed many terror attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak. The attacks, targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

The military has launched security campaigns in the North Sinai area where some terrorists are based. The security forces have arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. Despite the relative infrequency of attacks in Central Sinai compared to North Sinai, security forces have recently aimed to tighten their grip on the area through a number of anti-terror operations.