Egyptian Army soldiers in Sinai peninsula,
On May 7, Egypt announced that eleven service member of its armed forces, including an officer, were killed as a result of a terrorist attack in the western part of the Sinai Peninsula.
In a statement, Col. Gharib Abdel Hafez, a spokesman for the Egyptian Armed Forces, said that at least five other troops were wounded in the attack, which was one of the deadliest against Egyptian government forces in recent years.
The terrorist attack targeted a water pumping station east of the strategic Suez Canal abutting Sinai. The attack took place in the town of Qantara in the province of Ismailia. The terrorists ambushed troops guarding the pumping station, before fleeing to the desert in northern Sinai,
According to Col. Hafez, Egyptian troops are currently pursuing the terrorists responsible for the attack in an isolated area in northern Sinai.
“The armed forces affirm their efforts to eradicate terrorism will continue,” the spokesman said in the statement.
No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly terrorist attack, yet. However, the attack took place in a region where ISIS is known to be present and active. The terrorist group’s cells have been waging an insurgency against Egyptian government forces in Sinai for around eight years now.
Last week, suspected terrorists blew up a natural gas pipeline near the city of Bir al-Abd in northern Saini. The attack caused a fire. However, there were no casualties.
In the last few months, Egyptian government forces, supported by armed tribesmen, intensified their operations against terrorists in Saini. Despite this, ISIS cells are still fairly active in the region.
