Sources: 3 security personnel killed in clashes at National Security Agency’s Arish headquarters

Three security personnel were killed in clashes at the Arish headquarters of the National Security Agency on Sunday, a medical source in North Sinai told Mada Masr.

The bodies of the ranking officer and two policemen were received by Arish Military Hospital, the medical source stated.

The clashes began in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to local sources, who told Mada Masr that they first heard the sound of gunfire from inside the fortified complex in a suburb to the east of Arish that houses the NSA headquarters, the North Sinai security directorate, the governorate administrative building, the General Intelligence Services headquarters and the North Sinai Criminal Court.

Entry to the complex is very strict. Employees working in the various agencies and citizens are only allowed in after presenting their identification cards and going through spot background checks.

With gunfire coming from the complex, all communication in North Sinai was cut, the local sources told Mada.

By 10 am, three hours after the first gunshots were heard, Arish General Hospital was put on high alert and told to prepare the ER in anticipation of incoming casualties from the vicinity of the NSA headquarters, according to a second medical source working in the hospital.

Both the local sources and a resident in the area say that the clashes stretched on for six hours.

At one point, security personnel could be seen on the rooftop of the NSA headquarters firing in various directions, the resident in the area told Mada Masr. 

At 1:30 pm, a large fire broke out on the top floor of the NSA building, the resident adds. As gunfire continued to ring out, fire trucks arrived at the complex to try to put out the fire. 

A civilian working in the North Sinai security directorate told Mada Masr that security personnel locked the directorate building and prevented any employees from leaving or entering the building. 

There has not been an official comment on what caused the clashes or the deaths of the three security personnel at the time of publishing.