An army officer was killed and another three conscripts injured on Tuesday evening when an improvised explosive device (IED) that targeted their armoured vehicle was detonated west of Rafah in North Sinai governorate.
Meanwhile, a police officer and another four conscripts, in addition to a civilian, were injured in a similar IED explosion that targeted an armoured police vehicle west of Al-Arish, a North Sinai-based journalist told Daily News Egypt Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
Islamic State-affiliate Sinai Province is believed to be responsible for planting IEDs to target army and police patrols in areas that are largely frequented by civilians.
On a daily basis, residents of Rafah , Sheikh Zuweid, and Al-Arish are living with a permanent threat to their safety due to clashes between the Armed Forces and Sinai Province. Recently, a number of civilians were killed by detonations of IED which were planted by Sinai Province to target military patrols.
On Sunday, four residents from Al-Arish were killed and another three were injured when an IED detonated on Al-Bahr Street targeting military patrol.
The victims were taken to Al-Arish public hospital where a group of residents gathered in front of the hospital in protest of the fragile security situation in the area.
Military insurgency against army and police forces in North Sinai is still on the rise despite intensive military operations carried out by the state targeting members of the IS-affiliated group.
Sinai Province, formerly known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, represents a chronic headache to Egypt’s current regime as it continuously targets army and police members whom they consider “apostates” that must be killed.
