10 killed as Egypt launches deadly assault on Sinai militants

At least 10 people were killed and 20 others injured on Saturday as Egypt's army launched a major air and ground assault on Sinai militants in one of the largest military operation in years.

The operation has largely targeted militants in North Sinai's towns of Sheikh Zwayed and Rafah amid increased violence between the army and the supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

At least 10 militants were killed in the operations, while 20 others were wounded and 15 arrested, Ahram Online reported.

Smoke could be seen rising from the towns and troops set up a cordon to prevent militants from escaping as others combed the area, a security official said.

Egyptian security officials said seven helicopters took part in an assault on buildings where gunmen were holed up.

Officials said the army found weapons and missile caches and even managed to cut off communications in Northern Sinai, preventing the jihadists from contacting each other.

"This is by far the largest operation we have seen and the one we have been waiting for," said Sheikh Hassan Khalaf, a tribal leader from al-Joura, one of 12 targeted villages in the area.

"Starting today, you will not hear of attacks on army or police checkpoints as before. They either have to flee or get arrested," he added.

Egypt's official news agency MENA reported that a total of six military helicopters were used to strike weapons caches and militants' vehicles in seven villages, as part of what it described as a "campaign to wipe out terrorist hideouts."

Meanwhile, media outlets affiliated to Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, reported that the Egyptian military destroyed six tunnels on the Sinai-Gaza border as part of an effort to create a buffer zone.

Sinai has suffered from a security vacuum since the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak over two years ago, but militant attacks have increased in frequency since July after Morsi was removed from power.

In August, 25 police conscripts were killed when militants ambushed a personnel carrier near Rafah.