Egyptian security forces kill 40 ‘militants’ in raids after tourists killed in bus bomb blast near Giza Pyramids

EGYPTIAN security forces killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the Ministry of Interior said today.

The news comes a day after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people.

The Ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Friday’s attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza where it said “terrorist elements” were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry.

Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by ISIS.

State news agency MENA said the suspects were killed in a gun battle.

No details were given about the suspects’ identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces.

The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously.

Photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them were also published by the Ministry.

Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus yesterday less than three miles from Egypt’s world-famous Giza pyramids.

Egypt’s military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the “Arab Spring” protests of 2011.

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