Egypt’s Interior Ministry on Tuesday announced that Egyptian police forces killed two wanted militants in a shootout in North Sinai’s Gilbana area.
The ministry said that the militants were planning to carry out terrorist attacks during the June 30 Revolution anniversary celebrations.
Egypt’s National Security Agency had been tipped off about a terrorist group’s hideout in the Gilbana area, from which they were plotting attacks against army and police forces in the area.
Police spotted the two militants in a vehicle while they were monitoring security checkpoints as part of their preparations for the raid.
However, as soon as the terrorists sensed the siege closing in on them, they fired heavily at the Egyptian forces. The forces responded with gunfire, resulting in the deaths of the two men.
Police seized two automatic guns, five ammunition magazines, a two-way radio, and a pistol that had been stolen after a group of terrorists attacked and killed a policeman on August 9, 2017 in Bir al-Abd area, North Sinai.
The statement added that the Interior Ministry is continuing to track down militant extremist groups seeking to carry out attacks in Egypt and abroad.
Police filed a report on the militants’ deaths and referred the matter to the Supreme State Security Prosecution for further investigation.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
