Iran censures terrorist attacks in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has denounced terrorist attacks across Egypt’s volatile Sinai Peninsula, urging regional countries to reinforce their unity in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Such terrorist moves are aimed at keeping Muslim and regional countries busy with secondary issues and distracting them from the main and top priority of the Muslim world that is support for the Palestinian people, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said on Friday.

She stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation and solidarity among countries in the region to battle extremism and terrorism.

Sinai attacks

Egyptian security officials said at least 44 people were killed and over 80 others injured after militants carried out attacks on army and police targets as well as an office of a daily newspaper in the strife-stricken Sinai Peninsula on Thursday.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a massive car bomb detonated outside the headquarters of the 101st Brigade of the Egyptian army in the city of el-Arish, situated 344 kilometers (214 miles) northeast of the capital, Cairo, late on Thursday, leaving scores of people killed and wounded.

Separately, an office of Egypt’s most-widely-circulated daily, al-Ahram, was “completely destroyed” in an assault by gunmen.

Two Egyptian army officers were also injured when an army convoy was targeted with mortar shells in the border town of Rafah.

Over an hour later, there were reports of another ambush on an army convoy just south of Rafah. Gunmen also reportedly attacked a checkpoint in Rafah.

The so-called Ansar Bait al-Maqdis militant group claimed responsibility for Thursday's attacks.

The Egyptian military considers the Sinai Peninsula a safe haven for gunmen who use the region as a base for their “acts of terror.”

SF/HMV/SS

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