Four militants killed in Egypt military strike

At least four militants were killed and seven others wounded Saturday in an air strike launched by the Egyptian army on hideouts of Jihadist militants in North Sinai governorate bordering Israel, a security source said.

"The air strike targeted a house, a hut and a car in the village of al-Toma near Sheikh Zewaid city in North Sinai along with more that 10 rockets, while Jihadists replied with heavy artillery but in vain," the source was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Military spokesperson Colonel Ahmed Mohamed Ali said the armed forces attacked a terrorist group that was planning to launch attacks against army, police and civilians in North Sinai.

Ali in a statement on his social network page said the terrorist group included members who were involved in the killing of 16 Egyptian soldiers in Rafah city in August 2012 and others involved in kidnapping seven Egyptian soldiers in May.

Two Egyptian military helicopters Friday struck a rocket base of Jihadist militants in Rafah city in North Sinai, official news agency MENA quoted a security source as saying Saturday.