Egypt army says 10 soldiers killed or injured in North Sinai blast

Army soldiers guard the entrance of tunnels and the Suez Canal area, in Ismailia, Egypt November 17, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt’s army said on Thursday that 10 soldiers were either killed or wounded in a blast targeting an armoured vehicle in the restive northern Sinai.

The attack occurred south the city of Bir al-Abed in the troubled North Sinai region, the epicentre of a long-running Islamist insurgency spearheaded by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group.

Army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai said the 10 casualties included an officer but did not provide details on the number of those killed or wounded.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred during the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi extended his condolences to the victims on Twitter.

Security forces have for years been battling to contain the insurgency in the turbulent North Sinai which intensified following the military’s 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Scores of soldiers and police were killed in militant attacks especially in the turbulent region over the years.

In February 2018, Egyptian security forces launched a nationwide, large-scale operation against militants, mainly focused on the North Sinai region.

More than 845 suspected militants have been killed in the region along with more than 60 security personnel, according to army figures.

Comments

See how Tinubu reacts to #EndSARS protests, says police reforms has begun

See how Tinubu reacts to #EndSARS protests, says police reforms has begun National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has said the protest against police brutality in Nigeria is within the constitutional right of Nigerians. “Asiwaju Tinubu believes in the right of Nigerians to freedom of expression, assembly, and protest where and when necessary, he has always canvassed the need for people to explore peaceful channels to ventilate their views and demands,” Tinubu said in a statement by his media aide Tunde Rahman. “He believes the #EndSARS protesters have made their demands, which the Federal Government is studying.” Tinubu’s statement comes after being alleged of being one of the sponsors of the ongoing nationwide protest against brutality, extortion, harassment and extrajudicial killing by police personnel. The Cattle’s Breeders Association known as Miyetti Allah had earlier accused Tinubu of using the protest to distort the administration of President Muh...

Trump backtracks on scrapping of White House coronavirus task force

Trump backtracks on scrapping of White House coronavirus task force President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to backtrack on plans announced the previous day to shut down the task force advising him on the coronavirus pandemic. The White House’s earlier suggestion that the high-level team could close around the start of June was Trump’s latest signal that he thinks it’s time to move on from the health crisis and reopen the economy. But in a series of tweets Wednesday, he said the task force had been so successful that it “will continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN.” The president, however, said that he could “add or subtract people” to the group, which suggested the situation remained fluid. Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the task force, said Tuesday he was “starting to look at the Memorial Day window, early June window” for shutting it down. That holiday falls on May 25. The coronavirus task force has spearheaded...

Operators seek tax holiday, subsidy to save airlines

Operators seek tax holiday, subsidy to save airlines Worried by the fate that awaits local carriers, operators yesterday, appealed to the Federal Government to introduce some economic recovery measures to safeguard airlines from collapse. The operators, currently burdened by recurrent costs, are seeking aviation intervention fund at an interest rate of not more than five per cent. They suggested that government could take a cue from the American model of offering 50 per cent funding and grants, and 50 per cent palliatives through waivers and suspension of taxes, levies and fees among others. Besides, they called for the implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order on Removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) from all forms of transportation; as domestic airlines are still the only forms of transportation paying VAT. The current restriction of both local and foreign commercial flight services has forced domestic carriers into fin...

Gtechone

Search This Blog