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Egypt's ISIL offshoot attacks southern Israel

This file photo shows Velayat Sinai militants, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, in Egypt's troubled Sinai Peninsula. (© AFP)

ISIL militants operating in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula have launched a rocket attack on southern Israel.

"Three Grad rockets were fired at Jewish positions in occupied Palestine," militants from Velayat Sinai (Sinai Province), previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, said in a Friday statement on Twitter later in the day.

The Velayat Sinai pledged allegiance to the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group last November.

The rockets landed on Friday afternoon in an open area at the Eshkol Regional Council, close to the Egyptian border, causing code-red sirens to sound in nearby communities.

The attacks caused no injuries or damage but forced residents to take refuge in shelters.

The rocket fire came just two days after the Takfiri militants attacked Egyptian military posts in the Sinai Peninsula. Later in the day, the Egyptian army issued a statement, saying that it killed over 100 militants following the terrorist attacks, which left 17 army personnel dead.

Since the ouster of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, in July 2013, gunmen have launched numerous terrorist attacks in the Sinai Peninsula, which has long been considered a safe haven for militants.

A state of emergency has been announced in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula since a militant attack on an Egyptian army checkpoint killed more than 30 soldiers in October 2014.

MSM/AS/MHB


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