CAIRO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian armed forces killed four terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula as part of the country's anti-terror operation "Sinai 2018," the Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement on Sunday.
The confrontations have left 167 terrorists and 24 soldiers dead since the comprehensive campaign started in February.
The forces also arrested 250 terrorist suspects and defused 30 explosive devices planted to target the forces and destroyed 386 terrorist dens where 16 bombs were found, said the statement.
Bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Egypt's North Sinai province has been the center of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers following the military ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.
Attacks later reached several other provinces including the capital Cairo and started to target the Coptic minority via church bombings and shootings.
Most of the terror attacks were carried out by a Sinai-based group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group.
