Egyptian helicopters strike rebels in Sinai

EL-ARISH, Egypt: Egyptian helicopter gunships fired rockets early Tuesday at militants in the northern Sinai Peninsula, killing at least eight and injuring 15 others in an ongoing campaign to put down radicals who have escalated attacks in the largely lawless region, Egypt’s official news agency said.
Security officials said military helicopters targeted multiple locations along the borders with Gaza and in northern Sinai. The state news agency MENA said the strikes hit hideouts where militants were meeting in two villages, Touma and Moqataa, along with a car carrying suspects.
At least eight were killed and 15 wounded, MENA reported.
But a military official put the death toll at 13, saying the strikes also hit hideouts and vehicles in two other villages, Joura and Mahdiya.
One helicopter fired on a moving car, apparently killing the occupants, said another official. Two weapons caches were destroyed and three suspects running from airstrikes were arrested at a nearby checkpoint.
Forces cordoned off the area to prevent militants from escaping as troops combed the villages, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the media.
Three houses were destroyed and part of a nearby mosque was damaged, said a witness who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal.
Ali Hassan Khalaf, who lives just outside Moqataa, said he saw helicopters flying over targeted areas a day earlier, taking aerial images. He said the main family in the village has given militants a safe haven.
The increase in Egyptian counterinsurgency operations in the Sinai started after the overthrow of Mursi, whom the military accused of turning a blind eye to militant activity.