The intensified army offensive comes after simultaneous attacks claimed by Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis on Wednesday left at least 17 soldiers dead.

The Egyptian army's offensive on militant hideouts in the restive North Sinai governorate over the past three days has resulted in the death of 205 militants, an army statement read on Saturday.

The intensified offensive in Rafah, Al-Arish and Sheikh Zuweid comes after simultaneous attacks on military personnel on Wednesday, claimed by Islamist militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis (ABM), left at least 17 soldiers dead.

Meanwhile, the military death toll from the Sinai Wednesday attack has reached 21, health minister spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar confirmed on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi visited troops in North Sinai, donning his military uniform for the first time since he took office in June 2014, to show his "respect" and "recognition" for their part in the "fight against terrorism".

Egypt's army is currently fighting a campaign against a decade-long militant insurgency in North Sinai that has spiked over the last two years.

Militants have killed hundreds of police and army personnel in North Sinai, while the authorities have announced that hundreds of militants have been killed in military campaigns in the governorate.