Five militants killed by army in Egypt

Cairo: Five militants were killed in an exchange of fire with Egyptian army in the restive North Sinai province, army said today.

The exchange of fire at Shiekh Zwayed city killed five militants, army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement.

Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the 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.

Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.