Egypt intensifies security operation in Sinai

Egypt intensified its security operation to eliminate terrorists Thursday in North Sinai with more military equipment dispatched to the area.

A machinery fleet composing of 20 armored vehicles, 30 vans carrying tanks and a batch of soldiers, arrived in Al-Arish, capital of North Sinai, on Thursday, a local security source told Xinhua.

The source added a wide, sweeping operation will begin in a few hours in search of weapons and ammunition of militants in Sinai.

Militants got most of the advanced weapons after the political turmoil early last year, or via borders with Sudan or Libya, he added.

The middle of Sinai and Rafah's borders with Israel and the Palestinian territory were the main targets of the campaign, he added.

The security campaign will continue its mission until the hideouts of militants in Sinai are eliminated, the army said.

With aerial bombardment, Egyptian army forces started Tuesday to chase militants who were suspected of attacking a checkpoint on Sunday south of Rafah, which left 16 soldiers dead and seven others injured.

The source added the suspected elements who were estimated to be at several thousands, spread in different areas in Sinai and many of them hide in mountainous areas.

Meanwhile, new equipment for demolishing the tunnels between the Gaza strip and Egypt arrived in Rafah. There are about 1,200 underground tunnels between Egypt and Gaza for smuggling.

After the deadly attack, Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi sacked Wednesday intelligence chief Murad Muwafi and North Sinai Governor Abdel Wahab Mabrouk.