CAIRO

The Egyptian army has launched a major military operation in the volatile Sinai Peninsula, killing 29 militants.

In a televised statement on Tuesday, the army said the offensive, code-named “Right of Martyr”, aims to eliminate militants from the North Sinai cities of Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid and Arish.

According to the statement, 29 militants were killed and a number of vehicles and equipment were destroyed in the operation.

The army said that two troops – an officer and a soldier – were killed in a roadside bomb blast during the offensive.

A security source told Anadolu Agency on Monday that an officer and conscript had been killed when an explosive device went off as an armored military vehicle passed through the city of Rafah.

Since the 2013 military coup against President Mohamed Morsi, northern Sinai has become the epicenter of a deadly insurgency against Egyptian security personnel.

The Daesh-linked Welayet Sinai (Province of Sinai) is the most active group in the area and has claimed several deadly attacks against security forces.

For the last two years, security forces have waged a fierce campaign against militants in the peninsula, which shares borders with both Israel and the blockaded Gaza Strip.