Egypt official Raises Death Toll in Sinai Attack to 11

Local Editor

An Egyptian security official said the death toll from the previous night's militant attack in Sinai, which included a suicide car bombing, has reached 11.

No one hadclaimed responsibility for the assault, in which eight troops were initially reported killed.

The official who spoke on condition of anonymity said three more slain soldiers were found on Friday morning outside the restive city of el-Arish.

Three attackers were killed, and the remainder fled after the Thursday evening assault, he said.

At least another 12 troops were injured in the ambush.

Egypt had been fighting Takfiri militants in the region for several years, but no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

An earlier report from Reuters news agency, citing security sources, said assailants fired two rocket-propelled grenades at a checkpoint near the city of El-Arish, before masked men opened fire.

That report said three policemen had been killed.

It is not yet clear if the conflicting reports refer to the same attack, or separate incidents.

Extremist groups are thought to have carried out more than 400 attacks in the North Sinai region between 2012 and 2015.

The Sinai Province Takfiri group, the most active insurgents, also swore an oath of loyalty to the Takfiri Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] terrorist group in November 2014.

It was initially called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis [Supporters of al-Quds [Jerusalem]], and had been active in the Sinai Peninsula since 2011. It has an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 active members.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team