Wanted Egyptian militant leader killed

The Egyptian army Thursday killed a leader of Sinai-based Al Qaeda-offshot Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis militant group after a fierce confrontation at his hideout, a security source said.

"Mohamed Abu Sheeta was among the militants behind the kidnapping of seven Sinai soldiers last year during the time of ousted president Mohamed Morsi," Xinhua quoted the source as saying.

Security forces also seized underground warehouses containing explosive devices and military uniforms, in addition to an underground field hospital working with power generators, he added.

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which is branded by Egypt and the US as a "terrorist organisation," has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks that killed hundreds of security personnel over the past year.