Egyptian security officials say the military has carried out an assault on suspected militants in the Sinai peninsula following new attacks against checkpoints.
Officials say the airstrikes Wednesday killed 20 militants.
The strikes came hours after an attack against checkpoints in the city of El-Arish, about 50 kilometers from the border with Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian military and President Mohamed Mursi had vowed to assert more control over the border area following an attack Sunday that killed 16 Egyptian border guards. Egypt said militants involved in the attack were trying to cross into Israel.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.