Egypt destroys 10 'explosives-laden' vehicles near Libya border

Egypt's army destroyed 10 sports utility vehicles allegedly loaded with weapons and ammunition on the Libyan border, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The air force has dealt a new blow to smugglers and infiltrators across the border," preventing them from bringing weapons and ammunition into Egypt, army spokesperson Tamer al-Refai said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The Egyptian military has carried out regular strikes against such vehicles in recent months as part of efforts to crack down on militants operating in remote desert areas of the country.

Since the army removed Egypt's first democratically-elected president Mohammad Morsi in 2013, extremist groups have stepped up attacks on the military, police and Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.

Security forces are fighting the Egyptian branch of the Islamic State group, which has increased its attacks in the north of the Sinai peninsula.

Attacks in the country's western desert have also increased in recent months, 

Egyptian authorities have repeatedly said that Islamist militants active in Egypt were trained in Libya.

Agencies contributed to this report.