23 Egyptian soldiers killed in car bombs

At least 23 Egyptian soldiers were killed and at least 26 more were injured by two deadly car bombs that ripped through army checkpoints in northern Sinai today, security sources said.

The two cars exploded on a road outside the border city of Rafah. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Social media users said the commander of the 103rd Thunderbolt Battalion, Colonel Ahmed Mansa was one of those killed in the attacks.

For the past three years, Egyptian forces have been fighting Daesh offshoot Wilayat Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula. Large areas of the area have been depopulated to secure them, forcing undreds out of their family homes.