EVENT SUMMARY
Wednesday 24th February 2016, Egyptian forces have killed 12 Takfiri militants and arrested more than three dozen others in their latest security raids in the troubled Sinai Peninsula of the North African country.
According to Sada el-Balad news, 12 members of the Takfiri Velayat Sinai terrorist group were killed and 10 others were injured during the military operations south of the border town of Rafah some 340 kilometers (211 miles) east of Egypt’s capital, Cairo.
Separately, the Egyptian troopers engaged the extremists south of the town of Sheikh Zuweid, situated 334 kilometers (214 miles) northeast of the capital and arrested 38 militants.
Egypt government views Sinai Peninsula as a haven harbouring militants from the Takfiri Velayat Sinai group, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis.
Velayat Sinai group has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks, mainly targeting the army and police.
Velayat Sinai group pledged allegiance to the Middle East-based Islamic State terrorist group which is wreaking havoc in Iraq, Syria and in Libya in November 2014,
