AFP – A sniper shot dead an Egyptian soldier Wednesday in the lawless Sinai Peninsula where the army has been waging a relentless campaign to root out militants, a security official said.

The 20-year-old conscript was killed while training at a military camp in Sheikh Zuwayed, the official said.

“He was shot in the head,” the official said, adding the nature of the wound indicated the bullet had been fired from altitude.

Egypt’s army has poured troops and armour into the Sinai to crush militant activity which has surged since the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3.

A subsequent crackdown on Islamists has resulted in more than 1,000 people being killed and more than 2,000 arrested nationwide.

Dozens of soldiers and policemen have also been killed in near daily attacks in the Sinai.