Off the wire
• Sudanese opposition alliance says national dialogue outcomes won't resolve Sudan issues  • Roundup:Italy's third-largest bank born as shareholders agree on BPM-Banco merger  • Indian PM calls on business community to work with BRICS to boost trade  • Iran to stage large-scale air drills  • Roundup: Chicago agricultural commodities rally over past week  • Exports from BiH increase by 2.2 percent in first eight months this year  • BRICS issues Goa Declaration pledging enhanced role  • Feature: Make your own film by tuning a knob  • Algeria to accelerate process of settling transactions with China's yuan  • Feature: Kenyan community youth volunteer to protect forests  
You are here: 　 Home

6 soldiers killed in Egypt's Sinai clashes

Xinhua, October 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least two Egyptian military officers and four conscripts were killed on Sunday in confrontations with militants in restive North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, a security source told Xinhua.

"An officer and four conscripts died as an armed attack targeted their armored vehicle in Abu Tawila town of Sheikh Zuweid city while another officer was gunned down by a sniper in Al-Muqata'a town also in Sheikh Zuweid," the source said on condition of anonymity.

He said eight other conscripts were wounded in separate blasts in the same city and the victims' ages varied between 21 and 28.

Earlier on Sunday, a conscript died following the explosion of an improvised explosive device that targeted a security armored vehicle while it was combing terrorist dens at Al-Gora town southern Sheikh Zuweid city.

The attacks came one day after the Egyptian security forces launched a massive security campaign in the chaotic province that left at least 100 militants killed and 40 others injured.

Meanwhile, the military spokesman said in a statement Sunday that the armed forces have started an intensive security operation to comb and raid a number of hiding places of militants in North and Central Sinai.

Earlier on Friday, at least 12 soldiers were killed after gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint in North Sinai, while 15 of the assailants were killed in confrontation with the security forces.

Egypt has been facing a growing wave of anti-government terrorist attacks since the military removed former Islamic president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Hundreds of police and military men have been killed in anti-government attacks over the past three years with a Sinai-based militant group loyal to the Islamic State (IS) regional group claiming responsibility for most of them.

Overall, the security forces killed about 1,000 militants and arrested a similar number of suspects in North Sinai as part of the country's "war against terrorism" declared by then military-chief and now President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi following Morsi's ouster. Endit