6 soldiers killed in militant attack on North Sinai checkpoint

Six soldiers were killed in a militant attack in the North Sinai city of Arish, announced the Armed Forces spokesperson on Friday.

The statement claimed that armed militants attacked the checkpoint using IEDs and guns.

A local source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Mada Masr that the security checkpoint situated along the Ring Road in the south of Arish was attacked in the early hours of Friday morning. “Afterwards, we heard gunshots from several security forces locations,” they added.

North Sinai has seen an increase in militant attacks targeting both police and Armed Forces since the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, many of which have been claimed by the Islamic State and its affiliate, Province of Sinai.

In September, Province of Sinai claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 18 security forces and injured 6 others in an explosion targeting their convoy in North Sinai.

Last July, the Armed Forces faced one of the deadliest attacks in years, when dozens of militants targeted a checkpoint, reportedly killing at least 23 soldiers and injuring dozens of others. The attack was carried out on July 7 and was later claimed by the Islamic State.

A statement by the Armed Forces spokesperson reported that they had thwarted another attack by carrying out airstrikes that killed at least 40 militants. In the days following the attack, the Armed Forces conducted a military operation named the Martyrs’ Rights, killing at least 30 militants.