CAIRO, Apr 25 (Aswat Masriya) - The Egyptian armed forces killed 30 militants in airstrikes targeting weapon and ammunition stores in the town of Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai, the army spokesman said in a statement on Monday.

The spokesman said the army launched airstrikes after receiving intelligence information related to militant operations planned on Apr. 25, which marks Sinai Liberation Day.

Militancy inside Egypt has seen a significant rise since the military ouster of former president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, following mass protests against his rule. North Sinai has been at the epicenter of this insurgency.

According to separate statements by the armed forces over the past year alone, hundreds of suspected militants have been killed and hundreds more arrested in multiple security campaigns launched by the army.

Aswat Masriya could not independently verify the content of these statements. Anti-terrorism legislation imposes heavy fines on news organisations that contradict official statements.