Egypt kills 25 Islamist militants in airstrikes

Ismailia 

A series of airstrikes by Egypt near the town of Sheikh Zuweid killed 25 Islamist militants in North Sinai. The airstrikes hit militant targets destroying weapon and explosive cache, security sources said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inspected soldiers and police in El-Arish, the provincial capital, on Saturday, the presidency said in statement. 

Sisi, dressed in military garb for the first time since becoming president just over a year ago, told troops at least 200 militants had been killed in the fighting in recent days, but added: "For me to say that things are under control is not enough, things are totally stable."

"I tell Egyptians ... the size of forces here (in Sinai) is one percent of Egypt's army."

Militants launched a coordinated assault on military checkpoints in North Sinai on Wednesday, leading to day-long fighting which left more than 100 militants and 17 soldiers dead, the army said. 

Egyptian air strikes killed 23 Islamist militants the next day, security sources said. Hours after Sisi's speech in El-Arish, Sinai Province said in a statement posted on Twitter it had attacked two army vehicles with two bombs in the area of Sheikh Zuweid.