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Terrorist attack kills 12 Egyptian soldiers in Sinai
Suspected terrorists militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula attacked an army checkpoint on Friday, killing 12 soldiers and wounding eight, according to security and medical officials.
The officials said the terrorist attack took place about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of the Suez Canal, near the town of Bir el-Abd, where the wounded were taken for treatment before they were ferried to the city of el-Arish to the east. A military statement confirmed the death toll, but said six troops were wounded. The military said 15 of the terrorists attackers, who arrived at the checkpoint in all-terrain vehicles, were killed and an undetermined number of others were wounded in an ensuring gun battle.
According to the officials, the terrorists militants opened fire on the checkpoint with light arms and heavy machine guns. The officials had no information on casualties among the militants.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack though it bore the hallmarks of the local affiliate of the extremist Daesh group, which is based in Sinai. Calling itself the "Emirate of Sinai," the group is leading the insurgency in the strategic region bordering Israel and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said in a brief statement later Friday that the latest attack would only strengthen Egypt's resolve to continue the "battle for building and survival."
Posted by: Steve White 2016-10-15 |
