For the first time since the Yom Kippur war of 1973, Egyptian military helicopter gunships on Wednesday crossed into the Sinai, firing missiles to kill 20 militants in raids that signal Cairo's decisive confrontation to wipe out jihadists suspected to be massed there.
The military said it deployed Apache helicopter gunships inthe strikes that killed 20 terrorists in the Sinai village of Tumah near thetown of Sheikh Zouaid, the state-run MENA news agency reported.
The pre-dawn raids were apparently in response to deadlyattacks on Sunday by militants on a border checkpost, killing 16 soldiers. Theair raids marked for the first time in decades that Egyptian military crossedinto Sinai, which was declared a de-militiarised zone after the lastArab-Israel war.
Gunships went into action, after army had massed heavyforces close to the Sinai peninsula in anticipation of a major crackdown on themilitants.
"Our forces have entered the village of al-Toumahkilling 20 terrorists and have destroyed three armoured cars belonging to theterrorists," an army spokesman said, adding "operations are still ongoing."
The military action followed fresh clashes between armed menand security forces at several security check points overnight in the Sinairegion.
Official said armed men believed to be jihadists fired oncheckpoints in al-Arish and in the nearby town of Rafah on the border withGaza, injuring seven people, including two police officers.
Heavy exchange of fire continued late into the night,state-run MENA said. The army closed the roads leading to areas where firingwas going on
Lawlessness in the rugged desert region bordering Israel hasspread since the fall of Hosni Mubarak in an uprising 18 months ago and thepolitical instability that followed.
Egypt and Israel say both Islamist fighters from the Sinaiand Palestinian allies in the Hamas dominated Gaza Strip are active in NorthernSinai, attacking both Egyptian security forces and staging raids across theborder into Israel.
The confrontation between army and the militants poses amajor challenge to the new Islamist President Mohammad Mursi, whose MuslimBrotherhood party has good relations with the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian military strikes came a day after the militaryheld a funeral for the 16 soldiers killed in Sunday's attack.
Mursi did not attend the funeral, where some protesterschanted slogans against the Brotherhood and even heckled Prime Minister HishamQandil.
