Tens gathered in a village in the Qaliubiya governorate Friday for the funeral procession of conscript Mohamed Al-Sayed, who was killed in a “terrorist attack” in Sinai, state media reported.
Qaliubiya native Al-Sayed, 21, was on military duty when the attack took place, according to news reports.
The military spokesperson denied the occurrence of a terrorist attack in Sinai on Thursday, and added that the conscript might have been injured as a result of an earlier attack.
Qaliubiya Governor Mohamed Abdel Zaher said a school in the village was named after the killed conscript. This marks a measure, he says, that is taken following the death of any official serving the nation.
Families residing in the late conscript’s village, as well others from neighbouring villages, gathered to attend the funeral, which turned into a protest amid chants against terrorism.
Sinai-based journalist Ahmed Abu Dera’ said there were no militant attacks during the past two days, with the last attack being on Wednesday.
A car bomb detonated Wednesday near the North Sinai Police Officers Club in the city of Al-Arish, killing four police conscripts and injuring nine others. The extremist militant group “State of Sinai” claimed the attack, via affiliated Twitter accounts.
Last week, a Russian airliner crashed in the Sinai Peninsula, sparking worldwide controversy over the cause of the crash, which left no survivors.
The Sinai Peninsula has been witnessing a surge in militant attacks, particularly targeting military and security forces, ever since the overthrow of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
The military launched Operation “Retribution for the Martyr” early September, where attacks against militants intensified, with a death toll exceeding 200 militants, according to the armed forces’ statements.
The armed forces announced the end of the first phase of the operation on 22 September, and the start of a second phase aiming at reinforcing security control and providing support to local residents of Sinai, which is still ongoing.
