IS claims responsibility for Al-Arish attack

USPA NEWS - The Islamic State group (IS) claimed on Sunday responsibility for an attack on an Egyptian police checkpoint in Al-Arish in northern Sinai, according to Reuters. The statement of the group said that 15 soldiers were killed or wounded.

According to the Middle East News Agency (MENA) Egypt´s official news agency, the security forces, and killed four militants while other fled during the attack.

Egypt´s security forces launched on February an extensive military operation in Sinai, aiming at targeting dens and ammunition storages that are being used by terrorists, according to the first statement from the armed forces. The operation includes navy, air force, and infantry forces.

Reuters cited Amaq the group´s official news agency that IS militants targeted the km 17 checkpoint west of Al-Arish. No further details on the attack were mentioned.

The military spokesperson did not issue a statement on the attack, and MENA made no mention of any casualties among the security forces.

Egypt is currently battling several armed groups, concentrated mainly in the Sinai Peninsula, since the ouster of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Since 2013, state security forces, represented by both the army and the police, have been engaged in violent clashes with “Sinai Province“, a group previously known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis. In 2014, the group declared its affiliation with IS and has launched deadly attacks on army and police checkpoints.