Sinai shooting – Egyptian soldier killed

Terrorists have attacked Egyptian security checkpoints on the Mediterranean coast of northern Sinai, killing one soldier and wounding a dozen others.

“The militants targeted three major security camps in Rafah city, security forces in both Rafah and (the coastal city of) El-Arish, and a natural gas station in southern Arish,” a security source said on condition of anonymity on Monday.

It confirmed that a 22-year-old soldier was killed in the latest attack on Egyptian security forces in the Sinai Peninsula.

Egyptian state news agency MENA reported on Sunday that security forces killed at least 10 “terrorist” armed men and rounded up 20 during a 48-hour military operation in Sinai.

It further added that Egypt’s security forces have managed to arrest 20 of the gunmen.

The Sinai Peninsula has been witnessing a surge in clashes between unknown gunmen and Egyptian forces since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi in early July.

On July 25, two Egyptian soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack on a military checkpoint near the town of Sheikh Zuweid.

Unidentified assailants attacked a military checkpoint and a vehicle belonging to the army in the town of El-Arish, the capital and the largest city of North Sinai, a day earlier.

On July 13, security officials said terrorists attacked El-Arish International Airport with rocket-propelled grenades.

Egypt has been the scene of increasing violence since the head of armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, pushed said on July 3 that Morsi was no longer in office. The constitution was suspended and the parliament was dissolved.

On July 4, Sisi declared that the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adli Mansour, had been appointed as the interim president of Egypt.