Egyptian Security Forces Eliminate 40 Militants

One day after a bomb explosion targeting a bus carrying Vietnamese tourists near the Pyramids, Egypt's Ministry of Interior announced that Egyptian security forces killed 40 militants during three operations in the Sinai Desert and Giza region. The ministry's statement does not clarify whether these militants were linked to the Friday attack on the tourist bus, but it mentions that security forces eliminated 30 militants in Giza, the area where the Pyramids are located. According to the Ministry of Interior, these insurgents were planning attacks on government institutions and the tourism industry from their hideouts in Giza. The statement also adds that Egyptian security forces killed 10 militants in the Sinai Desert, an area where the Egyptian government is engaged in a war against militants of the group known as the 'Islamic State' or ISIS. However, the Ministry of Interior did not provide further details about the incident, and it is unclear how the suspects were identified or whether any security forces were injured or killed. The ministry states that all three operations were conducted simultaneously. The announcement was accompanied by images of the bloody corpses of the militants with their weapons placed beside them. The bomb explosion on Friday resulted in the deaths of three Vietnamese tourists and their Egyptian guide, leaving 10 others injured. The Egyptian army and police have launched a campaign against militants believed to be hiding in the Sinai Peninsula and southern regions of the country, as well as along the border with Libya. The Egyptian government states that combating Islamist militants is a priority for the country. These militants have carried out multiple attacks against Egyptian security forces and also against Christian minorities and Sufis, one incident dating back to last autumn when Sufi Muslims were targeted during worship, resulting in the deaths of at least 311 of them.