News / Egypt

Five Egyptian forces killed in Sinai bombing

Wednesday, 27 January 2016 5:56 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 27 January 2016 5:57 PM ]

Members of the Egyptian army special forces man a temporary checkpoint outside the airport in Sharm el-Sheikh, as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visits on November 11, 2015. (AFP photo)

Five members of Egypt’s security forces were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off remotely in the violence-plagued Sinai Peninsula. 

A security source said the blast occurred on a road in the area of al-Maidan west of the city of el-Arish in North Sinai, the Arabic-language Egyptian news website, al-Youm al-Sabea, said.

The report quoted a medical source as saying that a dozen soldiers also sustained injuries.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack, however, Velayat Sinai, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, has claimed responsibility for most of similar assaults. The group pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorists in November 2014.

On January 21, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said unidentified assailants had opened fire on a security checkpoint in el-Arish, killing at least eight police officers.

On January 14, Egypt's armed forces killed at least 30 militants and foiled an attack targeting a security checkpoint in Sinai.

Over the past few years, militants have used the Sinai Peninsula as a safe haven to carry out deadly attacks mainly targeting Egyptian army and police forces.

The Egyptian army has long been engaged in military operations against the militants in the volatile region, which has been under a state of emergency since October 2014.

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