Sharjah 24 – Reuters: A string of watchtowers, checkpoints and army posts mark the northern edge of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and troops patrol in armoured vehicles along repaved roads.

Branch roads have been blocked off with piles of sand and some houses demolished to deprive militants of cover between Al Arish and Sheikh Zuweid, a focal point of the war between the Egyptian military and insurgents over the past decade.

The measures reflect a significant shift in the security situation in the past two years.

The military has secured large areas of the strategic stretch of land bordering Palestinian-run Gaza and Israel on one side and the Suez Canal on the other, and is no longer on the back foot, witnesses, security sources and analysts say.

Civilian life is still severely curtailed but the long-neglected region is changing as the state forges ahead with development schemes.

Many of the militants have been killed, fled or surrendered. As few as 200 are still active, down from 400 two years ago and 800 in 2017, according to three Egyptian security sources.

In place of big attacks, they increasingly depend on snipers, homemade bombs and mortars.

On the outskirts of North Sinai's main city Al Arish, near where razed olive farms once stood, the government has built new apartment blocks.

A resident said people just sought a return to normality.

Egyptian authorities did not respond to a request for comment on the situation in North Sinai.