The Egyptian military killed 12 militants in different locations around the country and arrested another 68 during operations last week, according to an announcement on Friday by an official spokesman for the Egyptian army.

Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said that the military had conducted a security operation from 28 September to 2 October, during which time the killings and arrests were carried out.

According to Samir’s statement, published on his official Facebook page, the armed forces in cooperation with the police launched raids in North Sinai, Ismailia, Daqahlia and Port Said.

Among the 12 killed is Mohamed Abu Shatiya in North Sinai, a wanted militant who had been accused of being behind the kidnapping of seven Egyptian soldiers in Sinai last year.

A number of vehicles and motorcycles used against security forces and a militant field hospital were also destroyed in the raid, according to Samir.

For more than year Egyptian security forces have been waging military operations against radical militant groups in North Sinai, in response to escalating attacks on security forces both in Sinai and in other parts of the country.

The Egyptian armed forces launched raids using helicopters and ground troops, killing and arresting militants in recent months.