Four residents of Al-Arish, North Sinai, were killed and three others injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated on Friday evening, state-run newspaper Akhbar Al-Youm reported.
The victims were taken to Al-Arish public hospital where a group of residents crowded in front of the hospital in protest against the fragile security situation in the area, an Al-Arish-based resident told Daily News Egypt on condition of anonymity.
“The Islamic State-affiliated group Sinai Province is believed to be responsible for planting the IED in an attempt to target a military patrol that might pass through Al-Bahr street,” he added.
Military insurgency against army and police forces in North Sinai is still on the rise, despite intensive military operations targeting Sinai Province.
Sinai Province, formerly known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, is a major hurdle for Egypt’s current regime in regaining control of the peninsula, as the militant group continuously targets army and police members whom they consider “apostates” that must be killed.
