Nineteen “State of Sinai” members, formerly known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, were killed in North Sinai after their hideouts were hit by military airstrikes, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported.
The group recently claimed responsibility for two attacks in Al-Arish, killing two, including one civilian, and leaving more than 45 injured. The attack was launched two days before the Economic Summit in South Sinai.
The Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, which started Friday and in which several world leaders are participating, will end on 15 March. The Arab League Summit is set to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh as well.
The Interior Ministry, along with the armed forces, is securing the Summit as campaigns in South Sinai were launched to secure the province’s entrances and exits, according to Deputy Head of the South Sinai Security Directorate Mahmoud Samy.
In coordination with the armed forces, the Interior Ministry has set to secure the delegations participating in the conference, Samy said.
The armed forces have taken a range of security measures to counter insurgency in North Sinai, within the framework of ‘ultimately eliminating terrorism”. These include the creation of a buffer zone, and a six months state of emergency in certain areas of North Sinai.
