Egypt’s army has released a new statement, saying it has slain 56 militants with the Takfiri terrorist group, Daesh, in the Sinai Peninsula.

The Tuesday statement said the fatalities came after a "major military operation" that Egyptian forces launched against the group a day earlier. A roadside bomb also killed an army officer and a soldier and wounded four, it added.

The army said it launched the operation to "eliminate terrorist elements" around the town of Sheikh Zuweid, the city of el-Arish, and the border town of Rafah.

A previous army statement had put the death toll at 29.

Gunmen have intensified terrorist attacks across Egypt, particularly in Sinai Peninsula, over the past year.

Militants from the Velayat Sinai terror group, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. Last November, the group pledged allegiance to the Daesh terrorist group, which is wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria.