LOC16:35
13:35 GMT
CAIRO, March 23 (KUNA) -- Ten Egyptian Army personnel, including three officers, were killed during a raid on "terrorists' hideouts" where they killed 15 extremist militants in Sinai.
A statement by the Egyptian Army spokesman Colonel Tamer El-Refaay, on Thursday, said that three officers and seven soldiers were killed, pointing out that the regular troops detained seven gunmen, in addition to destroying two depots containing half a ton of TNT explosives.
The statement added that the task force also found 55 boxes of the substance Aluminum nitrate and a large number of explosives, in addition to medical and surveillance equipment.
During a chase of the militants, two improvised explosive devices, planted on the path, blew up killing the ten army personnel, members of the Egyptian third field army.
The speaker noted that two four wheelers were found, where a number of hand grenades, ammunitions, flags and private documents that belongs to the militants were inside it, in addition to 460 laptops and 640 mobile phones. (end)
rg.mys