Five Egyptian soldiers killed in attack in north of Sinai Peninsula

At least five Egyptian military personnel were killed in a militant attack on Wednesday in northern Sinai, two security sources said, the second deadly strike against security forces on the Peninsula in less than a week, Reuters reports.

Four others were injured when armed men opened fire at a security post in the coastal area of north-eastern Sinai, which borders the Gaza Strip, the sources said.

There was no immediate comment from Egyptian authorities.

The deaths follow a 7 May ambush at a checkpoint in Sinai that killed 11 Egyptian soldiers and was claimed by Daesh, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years.

READ: Egyptian Revolutionary Council slams president for ‘opening Sinai to Israeli tourists’

Egypt expanded security control over-populated coastal areas of northern Sinai since a major counter-insurgency operation was launched in 2018, but sporadic attacks by militants linked to Daesh have continued.

News of Wednesday’s attack came as President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, in Cairo. The Egyptian Presidency said the two had discussed the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States, which is a major provider of military aid to Cairo.

On Monday, Sisi voiced hopes for deeper counter-terrorism ties with Washington in a meeting with the General who oversees US Forces in the Middle East, a US military official said.