EGYPTIAN MILITARY FORCES CONTINUE RAIDS OPERATIONS IN SINAI

       Cairo, 17 Dzulqa’idah 1434/23 September 2013 (MINA) –  Egypt’s military on Monday (23/9) launched  raids operations in North Sinai villages as part of  what they calles ‘againts terorism’..

       Eyewitnesses said explosions were heard as the army launched air raids in the villages of Toma, al-Zaheer and Moqataa in Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed.

       Security forces also battened down on border villages as well as villages south and west of Arish, Egypt Independent reported as monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

       More than 350 militants were arrested by military since the start of the operations more than two weeks ago, a security source said.

       The forces continues the raids operation in Sinai with the Israeli support who run after Sinai since a long time ago. A senior Israeli Defence Ministry official has praised Egypt’s latest military operation against armed groups in the Sinai. 

       “For the first time, we see a determined struggle against terrorism in Egypt’s Sinai, unrelated to the interests of Israel. The operation of the Egyptians is impressive,” said Amos Gilad, Director of the Political-Military Affairs Bureau at the Israeli Defence Ministry.

         Previously, fierce clashes erupted on Tuesday (17/9) between Egyptian army forces and Egyptian Bedouins in the Sinai Peninsula along the border with the Gaza Strip, Palestinian witnesses reported.

         The clashes started after Egyptian army forces began razing fields planted with several kinds of vegetables and trees owned by the Bedouins. The Egyptian army claimed that it was searching for underground fuel stores, the witnesses added.

         But when two military helicopters arrived at the scene, the witnesses said that the clashes stopped. The helicopters dropped statements warning people against helping  what they called ‘terrorists’ in the area.(T/P03/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)