Egypt’s Interior Ministry says security forces killed five militants from a Sinai-based group allied with Islamic State extremists during a raid in the country’s north.
The ministry says Sunday’s raid targeted a farm in al-Sharqiya province where some members of Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, or Champions of Jerusalem, were hiding. It describes those killed in the shootout as “most dangerous” jihadis.
The statement says two were wanted by the Supreme Security Court for participating in terrorist attacks. It says one security officer was wounded in the shootout and that a weapons cache was seized, including explosives’ belts for suicide attacks, a car laden with explosives and bomb-making material.
The Sinai-based group has carried out scores of attacks in Egypt since the July 2013 overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsy.
