Egyptian officials say at least 10 security troops have been killed when a car bomb struck a military checkpoint followed by heavy gunfire in northeastern Sinai Peninsula. On his official Facebook page, Army spokesman Tamer el-Rifai confirmed the attack and said that 26 army personnel were killed or injured in the attack, without providing a breakdown. However, Egypt in recent years has been battling a stepped-up insurgency in northern Sinai, mainly by militants from an Islamic State group affiliate. However, the restive northeastern Sinai has been under a state of emergency since October 2014 after Islamic militants killed more than 30 soldiers in a single attack. The Sinai branch of the Islamic State group appears to be the most resilient outside Syria and Iraq, where the so-called caliphate is witnessing its demise.

Source: Washington Post July 07, 2017 08:23 UTC