Armed forces personnel thwarted a car bomb attack Wednesday morning on one of the areas with high military presence on the Suez-Katameya Road, an armed forces statement said.
The attack resulted in the death of the vehicle’s driver. The armed forces statement further read that “no losses occurred” among military personnel.
North Sinai militant group “State of Sinai”, on the other hand, released a statement over affiliated Twitter accounts stating that the attack resulted in “many losses” amongst security personnel.
The statement read that the security camp previously targeted six of the group’s members.
The “Islamic State” affiliates in North Sinai claim almost all the attacks occurring in the areas of Al-Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid. “State of Sinai” is attempting to take control of these areas, while the armed forces are seeking to “eliminate” their existence from the peninsula.
According to media reports, the group is responsible for the attack on the Italian Consulate on Saturday.
The group claimed responsibility for highly coordinated attacks in North Sinai, the most recent of which was on 1 July. A total of 17 army soldiers were killed and 13 others were injured as result of the attack on at least five checkpoints in Sheikh Zuweid. An armed forces statement said that no less than 100 militants were also killed.
Following the attack, many Sheikh Zuweid residents have been fleeing the area to escape the exchange of fire, a North Sinai resident told Daily News Egypt.
More than 252 militants were killed during the time period between 1 and 11 July, according to an armed forces statement.
