CAIRO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian military announced on Thursday that 16 army personnel and 105 terrorists were killed since the country's anti-terror military operation began a month ago in Sinai Peninsula.
The military spokesman Tamer al-Refaay told reporters that 19 army men have been injured and receiving medical treatment during the comprehensive military operation.
The operation, dubbed "Sinai 2018", comes weeks before Egypt starts its 2018 presidential elections scheduled for late March, where incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to make an easy win for a second term due to the lack of strong challengers in the race.
"Some 2,829 terrorists, suspects and criminals have been arrested during the ongoing operation," he said, adding that large numbers of them have been released after they were found innocent.
The Egyptian armed forces have also destroyed 1,907 terrorist dens, hideouts and weapon storehouses, al-Refaay revealed.
"Two media centers of terrorists have also been destroyed," he said.
Bordering Israel and the 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 expanded to reach several other provinces including Cairo and started to target the Coptic minority via church bombings and shootings.
Most of the terror attacks were carried out by the so-called Wilayat Sinai (Sinai state or province), a Sinai-based group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group.
