23 Egyptian soldiers killed in blitz car bomb attack in Sinai

el arish (Egypt) — Militants unleashed a suicide car bomb and heavy gunfire on an Egyptian military checkpoint in northeastern Sinai Peninsula on Friday, killing 23 troops and wounding 33, officials said.

Among those killed in the attack — the deadliest on the country’s military this year — were five officers, including a high-ranking special forces colonel, Ahmed El Mansi, according to security officials.

The assault started when a suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the village of El Barth, southwest of the border town of Rafah, followed by heavy gunfire from dozens of masked militants on foot, said the officials.

As the attack unfolded, ambulance sirens were heard from a

among those killed in the attack were five officers, including a high-ranking special forces colonel Security officials

distance rushing to the site. The officials initially put the death toll at 10 but later said that more bodies were pulled from under the rubble of a nearby building, used as a rest house for troops, that was destroyed in the attack.

The militants arrived at the site of the checkpoint — located in a remote, desert area — in some 24 Land Cruiser SUVs, and opened fire on the soldiers with machine guns for nearly half an hour, the officials said. The troop presence at the compound is estimated to have numbered about 60 soldiers.

After the attack, the militants looted the checkpoint, taking away weapons and ammunition before fleeing the scene, the officials added. It was unclear if they also took armoured vehicles as well.

The next army compound is located an hour’s drive away, leaving the targeted site with no support except for local, armed tribesmen from the Tarabeen, who have their own small checkpoints nearby.

The wider area of the attack is considered to be a Daesh stronghold and was the site of fierce battles in the spring between the tribesmen and militants. The officials told AP that some senior officers have voiced opposition to the location of the checkpoint, arguing that it provided no real cover. —