Daesh Claims Killing, Wounding 20 Egyptian Troops in Sinai
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS) in Egypt claimed on Tuesday that its fighters killed and wounded 20 Egyptian soldiers in four days of clashes in northern Sinai.
In a statement posted on a pro-ISIS website, the Egyptian affiliate of the Sunni militant group said the fighting took place south of the coastal city of el-Arish and that the militants also destroyed two tanks, a Humvee and two other military vehicles.
There was no immediate comment from the Egyptian government on the claim, and the restive area of the Sinai Peninsula is off limits to the media, AP reported.
Security forces have been battling ISIS-led militants in Sinai for years, but the insurgency has grown deadlier and more widespread since the 2013 ouster by the military of Egypt's former president, Mohammed Mursi.
Following a spate of deadly attacks blamed on ISIS, Egypt recently stepped up security operations south of el-Arish and the desert beyond, saying many militants were killed and that weapons, ammunition and explosives were seized.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has described the fighting in Sinai as a "harsh war" that Egypt is fighting alone, and last week called on Egyptians to stand together against terrorism.
Separately, a Christian supermarket owner in el-Arish was gunned down on Monday night by suspected militants, the latest in a series of killings by ISIS targeting members of Egypt's Christian minority in Sinai.
Wael Milad was shot inside his supermarket, after which his killers fled to the olive orchards south of the city, security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
