Egyptian police killed a leading commander of Sinai-based militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis in a shootout on Tuesday, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The 31-year-old militant leader Ahmed Hassan Ahmed – also known as Ghandar El-Masry – was in charge of recruiting fighters to the group, which swore allegiance to Daesh in 2014.

Ahmed was killed as police conducted a raid on a militant hideout in the North Sinai capital of El-Arish.

Security forces have been battling an Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai, with hundreds killed on both sides.

The militants have also carried out deadly attacks against Christians.

Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis has claimed responsibility for some of the deadliest attacks in the country over the past four years, including an attack earlier this month on a military checkpoint that killed or injured 26 soldiers.

The group also claimed an attack in May on a bus carrying Coptic Christians traveling to a monastery in central Egypt, which killed at least 29 people.

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