Egypt says airstrike kills 2 militant leaders in Sinai

CAIRO – Egypt says its air force has killed several militants, including two local commanders, in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula.

The military said Sunday that the airstrike targeted a militant “outpost,” without providing further details.

The army has been battling a long-running insurgency in the northern Sinai that is now led by an Islamic State affiliate. The fighting intensified after the military overthrew an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013.

Authorities heavily restrict access to the northern Sinai, making it difficult to verify claims related to the fighting.

IS has carried out a number of large-scale attacks in recent years, mainly targeting security forces and Egypt’s Christian minority.