16 killed in army raid in Egypt

At least 16 jihadists were killed Saturday in a massive military raid carried out in Egypt's North Sinai governorate, a security source said.

"One of them, Ismail Khoukha, is a leading member of Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group," Xinhua quoted the source as saying, adding that the group is inspired by Al Qaeda and based in Sinai.

Ansar Beit al-Maqdis had formerly claimed responsibility for a recent string of blasts targeting police facilities and personnel in the capital Cairo, Suez and Sinai, killing at least 20 people and injuring about 130.

Since Islamist-oriented president Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military last July, hardliners took the peninsula as a stronghold for their attacks.