(File Photo)
(AFP Photo)
An explosion occurred near the city of Nakhal in central Sinai on Sunday afternoon.
No casualties have been reported.
At the time of print, it was still unclear what damage the explosion has caused, if any.
A source in the Egyptian military confirmed that an explosion took place but added that investigations are currently underway to find out the reasons behind the explosion.
Rumours had circulated that the explosion was caused by a rocket. The military source could not confirm this but added that a committee had been formed to find out the details.
The Palestine-based Ma’an News Agency said Jihadist groups had fired a long-range missile, with a range of 45 kilometres, from Nakhal in the direction of Suez, as part of a military drill. The news agency quoted unnamed Egyptian officials as saying the explosion was caused by an unexploded Israeli device left behind from the wars between Egypt and Israel.
An Israeli Defence Forces spokeswoman said, “We have not fired any rockets into the Sinai.”
The explosion created a crater two metres deep and one and a half metres wide, state-run Al-Ahram reported.
This explosion comes one day after security officials announced a state of emergency in North Sinai.
Egyptian Special Forces were deployed in the peninsula on Friday with special reinforcements in Rafah and Sheikh Zuwied, near the Israeli border. A number of units were concentrated in central Sinai, including in Nakhal, to control roads connecting different cities in and around Sinai.
This comes on the heels of Egypt’s most recent efforts to destroy the tunnels connecting Gaza and Sinai to prevent illegal smuggling and entry of Palestinians into Egypt.
Special military forces were tasked with protecting engineers responsible for destroying the tunnels against imminent attacks by Jihadist groups.
Egypt’s police officers have been striking in various parts of the nation for several days, including in the peninsula.
