Egyptian soldier, 8 militants killed in raid on hideout

An Egyptian soldier and 8 suspected militants were killed in an exchange of fire between the two sides in the volatile Sinai Peninsula.
Ahmed Mohamed El-Sayed was shot dead during a raid on militant hideout in the border town of Rafah in northern Sinai. The Egyptian troops also killed eight Takfiri militants and arrested 11 others, military spokesman Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement.
"The Egyptian Armed forces mourn the army soldier Ahmed Mohamed El-Sayed, who was killed on Tuesday in an exchange of fire with militants," an official statement said.
The forces also destroyed 3 vehicles and 17 motorcycles used by the militants in attacks.

North Sinai has been the scene of many violent attacks since the January 2011 revolution. Militant attacks against the forces have escalated since the military's ouster last year of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and its subsequent crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
Many policemen and soldiers have been killed in the attacks. The military has also launched frequent security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects, demolished houses that belong to terrorists and infrastructure like tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.