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Policeman killed in blast by al-Qaida-inspired group in Egypt's Sinai

Xinhua, June 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least one policeman was killed and two recruits injured Wednesday as their armored vehicle was hit by a blast in Arish city in Egypt's North Sinai province, a security source told Xinhua.

"An explosive device targeted a security patrol at Assiut Street downtown Arish city during the curfew hours in the early morning," the source said, noting that security forces hurried to the scene and blocked all surrounding roads in search for the perpetrators.

According to the source, the Sinai-based al-Qaida-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) militant group, which has changed its name to "Sinai State" and vowed loyalty to the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group, is believed to be behind the attack.

Meanwhile, the armed forces killed seven militants on Wednesday morning and foiled their attempt to carry out a big terrorist operation.

"The terrorist elements were moving an amount of various weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades and a quantity of C4 explosive, from Rafah city to Sheikh Zuweid city in preparation for carrying out a massive terrorist activity," military spokesman Mohamed Samir said in a statement.

He added that the armed forces destroyed two warehouses for arms and explosives and two vehicles used by the militants to move them.

Terrorist activities mounted in Egypt since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi by the army in July 2013 and the following security crackdown on his loyalists that left over 1,000 killed and thousands more arrested.

On the other hand, hundreds of police and army personnel were killed in attacks carried out by extremist and self-proclaimed Islamists since Morsi's removal.

The ABM group claimed responsibility for most of the anti-government attacks, which took place in the restive Sinai Peninsula and extended to reach the capital Cairo and other provinces across the country.

In its annual report released in late May, Egypt's National Council for Human Rights said the violence since Morsi's removal has resulted in the deaths of 2,600 people, including 700 police and army men, 550 civilians and 1,250 Brotherhood members and supporters. Endit