CAIRO – Egypt has arrested 12 jihadists in the Sinai Peninsula on the first day of a campaign targeting criminal and extremist elements behind the recent violence in the area. Security forces, supported by the military, launched Operation Eagle after investigations helped identify some of the perpetrators who attacked a police station in el-Arish, capital of North Sinai Governorate, killing two policemen and an army officer. Some other policemen were also injured. On Monday, the forces raided the suspects' hideout and the two sides exchanged fire. One of the suspects was injured and was dead on arrival at el-Arish Public Hospital. Three machine guns, four grenades and a huge amount of ammunition were found, besides documents, jihadist literature and three car number plates. Four of the 12 arrested by the security forces were reportedly Palestinians and another six from the ‘Islamic Liberation Army'. Operation Eagle aims at clamping down on militants who have staged four attacks on the gas pipeline to Israel in the past six months, since the eruption of a massive revolt that ousted the former regime in February.