Security forces shelled an area in North Sinai's Sheikh Zuweid late Friday, killing 15 suspected militants and injuring 20, military sources said.

Security apparatuses received information regarding the existence of a "terrorist cell" which belongs to the militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, the sources said. They added that the cell was planning attacks against security forces in the region.

Militancy inside Egypt has seen a significant rise since the military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, which was prompted by mass protests against his rule. Most attacks occur in North Sinai, targeting security forces. The attacks have left hundreds of security personnel killed.

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, Egypt's most notorious militant group, has claimed responsibility for most militant attacks in Sinai.

The group pledged allegiance to Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria last November, renaming itself as the "Sinai Province".

The armed forces has launched an intensified crackdown in the Sinai Peninsula in response to the militancy.

The military spokesman had earlier said that a total of 141 suspected militants have been killed in North Sinai in May.