Islamic militant attack in Egypt’s Sinai kills 23 soldiers

EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) – Islamic militants attacked a remote Egyptian army outpost in the Sinai Peninsula with a suicide car bomb and heavy machine gun fire Friday, killing at least 23 soldiers in the deadliest attack in the turbulent region in two years.

Though there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the strike bore all the hallmarks of the Islamic State group. At least 33 soldiers were wounded in the assault.

The coordinated attack suggested the Sinai-based militants are among the region’s most resilient, after IS in Iraq and Syria, where the so-called caliphate is now witnessing its demise. And it underscored the struggles Egyptian forces face in trying to rein in the insurgency.

Egypt has for years battled militants in Sinai, where the jihadis have exploited the vast arid and underdeveloped region and its disgruntled Bedouin population as an ideal incubator for Islamic insurgency. Recently the IS affiliate has emerged at the forefront of the insurgency.

Friday’s assault began in the early morning, when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the village of el-Barth, southwest of the border town of Rafah.

Dozens of masked militants then descended on the site in 24 Land Cruiser SUVs and opened fire on the soldiers with machine guns, according to security officials.

The shooting lasted nearly half an hour, the officials added, speaking on condition of anonymity because of regulations. The troops at the compound were estimated to have numbered about 60.

When the attack sub- sided, the militants apparently looted the checkpoint, snatching weapons and ammunition before fleeing, the officials said. It was unclear if they also took armored vehicles. A number of militants were killed in the shootout, indicating the soldiers had fought back, and some of their vehicles were abandoned at the scene.