Tamer El-Refaie, a spokesperson for Egypt’s Armed Forces, said that Cairo’s bold push to stamp out extremism in the Sinai Peninsula has been a massive success in its first month, with more than 100 extremists killed and several thousand accused of terrorism or other charges arrested, Sputnik reported.
Since Operation Sinai 2018 began on February 9, 105 enemy "takfiris" have been killed and 3,290 arrests have been made of people accused of criminal activity, assisting the takfiris or trying to illegally migrate from the Sinai. Many of those arrested have since been released, El-Refaie said.
The army has also destroyed five tunnel complexes, two communication centers, 428 vehicles (mostly motorbikes but also 41 trucks) and 471 improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Another 1,907 shelters, storehouses and IED manufacturing facilities were also destroyed.
On the other side of the battle lines, 16 Egyptian Army personnel have been killed and 19 others injured since the operation began.
The operation involves the Egyptian Army, Navy and Air Force as well as police border guards. El-Refaie claimed that all waterways leading to the Sinai were under the control of the Egyptian Navy, preventing insurgent infiltration or logistical support from across the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Land crossings are also being closely monitored by Egyptian border guards.