Wave of Attacks in Egypt’s Sinai Kill 27

Local Editor

The "ISIL" group's Egypt wing claimed a series of attacks that killed at least 27 security personnel on Thursday in some of the worst anti-government violence in months, after commemorations around the anniversary of the 2011 uprising turned deadly in the past week.

Egypt is fighting an extremist insurgency based in the Sinai. Hundreds of security force members have been killed since the army ousted President Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

The government makes no distinction between the Brotherhood and the Sinai-based militants. The Brotherhood denies any links to the insurgents.

The most active militant group in Sinai, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, changed its name to Sinai Province last year when it swore allegiance to "ISIL".
A series of tweets from the Sinai Province's Twitter account claimed responsibility for each of the four attacks that took place in North Sinai province within hours of one another on Thursday night.

Thursday's first attack was a bombing targeting a military headquarters, base and hotel in the capital of North Sinai province that killed 25 and wounded at least 58, including nine civilians, security and medical sources said.
The flagship government newspaper, al-Ahram, said its office in the city of al-Arish, which is situated opposite the military buildings, had been "completely destroyed," although it was not clear if it had been a target.

Later, suspected militants killed an army major and wounded six others at a checkpoint in Rafah, while an assault on a checkpoint south of al-Arish wounded four soldiers, security sources said. A roadside bomb in Suez city, not in the Sinai, that killed a police officer was not claimed by "ISIL".

After Sinai Province's claim of responsibility, security sources said a suspected militant had been killed while attempting to plant a bomb at a power transformer in Port Said.

Sinai-based militants have killed hundreds of security officers since Mursi was removed from power following mass protests against his rule.
The military said in a statement on its Facebook page that the attacks were the result of a successful campaign to pressure the militants.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi cut short a visit to the Ethiopian capital for an African Union summit, following the wave of deadly attacks.

Sisi's office said in a statement emailed on Friday morning that Sisi was heading back to Cairo to follow the situation.
Sisi had been scheduled to address the AU summit that began in Addis Ababa on Friday morning.

The US State Department condemned the attack, saying in a statement: "The United States remains steadfast in its support of the Egyptian government's efforts to combat the threat of terrorism in Egypt as part of our continuing commitment to the strategic partnership between our two countries."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team