Egypt army says 12 “militants” killed in north Sinai

EL-ARISH, Egypt— Egyptian helicopters fired on a meeting of suspected “militants “in the country’s Sinai Peninsula, officials said Sunday, killing at least 12 people as authorities stepped up their attacks,according to the AP.

The Egyptian officials told The Associated Press that three helicopters targeted “militants” in the desert town of Sheik Zuweyid late Saturday. The officials said another dozen were wounded in the attack.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali later confirmed the attack in a post on his official Facebook page. He said 25″militants” were targeted, but did not offer a breakdown of casualties.

The suspected “militants’ targeted in the air assault were wanted for an attack on Egyptian soldiers last year that killed 16, Ali said. They also were wanted in connection to the abduction of seven security forces earlier this year, he said.

A resident of Sheik Zuweyid told the AP that he saw the helicopter attack start Saturday night. On Sunday, he said neighbors saw two funerals for slain fighters, one with four bodies and one with two. Mobile phone service also had been disrupted as the operation took place, he said.

The resident spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

Egypt’s military and security forces have been engaged in a long battle against “militants” in the northern half of the peninsula. “Militants” and tribesmen have used the area for smuggling and other criminal activity for years. “Militants” have fired rockets into “Israel” and staged other cross-border attacks there on previous occasions.

On Friday, Egyptian security officials told the AP on Friday that a drone firing from the Israeli side of the border had killed five suspected” militants “preparing to fire rockets at” Israel”. The site of the strike was about five kilometers (three miles) inside Egypt. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief journalists.

On his Facebook page, Ali said the Egyptian army activity in Sinai is intended to be confidential and to “work in silence”.

M.D