Major terrorist attack in Egypt kills 25 soldiers, injures 26

Cairo, Oct 24: At least 25 Egyptian soldiers were killed and 26 others injured today in a major terrorist attack close to Israel and Gaza Strip borders in the restive North Sinai governorate.

A car bomb targeted an army checkpoint in Sheikh Zwuied area in North Sinai, killing 25 soldiers and injuring 26 others, said Salah Sallam, the head of Doctors Syndicate in North Sinai who termed it a terrorist attack.

After hearing the explosion, other Egyptian soldiers rushed to the spot to help their colleagues when unknown militants opened fire on them, according to CBC, an Egyptian privately channel.

Ambulances were waiting to enter the spot as security forces cordoned-off the area to search for other explosives. North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

Sinai-based Ansar Beyt al-Maqdis militants have escalated its attacks on police and military officials after the ouster of former president Mohammed Morsi in July last year.

Over 500 security personnels have been reported killed since then. In July, militants attacked a military checkpoint in Al-Wadi Al-Gedid governorate in southern Egypt which claimed the lives of 21 Egyptian border guards and left four others injured.

The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses belonged to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

PTI