Roadside bomb leaves two Egyptian soldiers dead in Sinai

At least two Egyptian soldiers have lost their lives and another has sustained injuries when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in the country’s violence-plagued Sinai Peninsula.

Egypt’s military spokesman, Brigadier General Mohammed Samir, wrote on his Facebook page that a team of bomb disposal experts were combing Karm al-Kwadis area of the town of Sheikh Zuweid, located about 334 kilometers (207 miles) northeast of the capital, Cairo, on Saturday, when the bomb went off.

An army officer and a soldier were killed, while a non-commissioned officer was injured.

On February 1, two policemen were killed when a bomb explosion struck their vehicle in the border town of Rafah, located 340 kilometers (211 miles) east of Cairo.

The development came only a day after an explosive device targeted a police patrol car south of Rafah, killing two Egyptian police officers and injuring four others.

On January 27, five members of Egypt’s security forces were killed when a powerful explosion ripped through their car in al-Maidan area west of the city of el-Arish, situated 344 kilometers (214 miles) northeast of the capital.

The Egyptian military has been engaged in operations to quell acts of terrorism and militancy in the Sinai Peninsula. It views the volatile region as a sanctuary for extremists, who use it as a safe haven.

The militant group Velayat Sinai, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks in Sinai.

Last November, the group pledged allegiance to Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, which is mainly operating in Iraq and neighboring Syria.