Egypt - Military Attacks Militants for Fourth Day in Northern Sinai - NYTimes.com Egyptian Army troops backed by helicopter gunships attacked hide-outs of Islamic militants in Sinai on Tuesday, killing nine and arresting 10, a military official said. The raids raised the death toll from four days of operations to 29. Officials have described the military offensive that started Saturday as the biggest sweep of the region in recent years, aiming to weed out groups inspired by Al Qaeda that have taken hold in villages in northern Sinai.