Islamic State says senior militant in Egypt’s Sinai killed

Cairo, Oct 3 (AP) The Islamic State group says one of its leaders in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has been killed.The group's Aamaq news agency announced the death of Abu Hamza al-Maqdisi late Monday, call

Cairo, Oct 3 (AP) The Islamic State group says one of its leaders in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has been killed.

The group’s Aamaq news agency announced the death of Abu Hamza al-Maqdisi late Monday, calling him a “martyr” without saying where or how he died. A photo of a young, smiling, bearded man accompanied the report. IS says he was killed recently, without specifying the day.

Egypt has been battling militants for years, but the Sinai-based insurgency gained strength after the 2013 military overthrow of the country’s first elected president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi, whose brief rule was divisive.

In February, Egypt launched a massive operation against militants in Sinai and other parts of the country.(AP) AMS

This is published unedited from the PTI feed.