Egypt says police forces kill 5 militants in northern Sinai

CAIRO – Egypt says its police forces have killed five militants in a shootout in the city of el-Arish in the turbulent northern Sinai Peninsula.

A statement Wednesday by the Interior Ministry said the shootout took place on a deserted farm used by the militants as a hideout. It said forces seized explosives and weapons.

It was unclear when the battle took place.

Egypt has been battling Islamic militants for years, but the insurgency gained strength after the 2013 overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president. The militants have mainly targeted security forces and Christians.

Egypt last year launched a wide-scale security operation focused on the northern Sinai Peninsula, where an affiliate of the Islamic State group has carried out many attacks in recent years.