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AFP
Police forces raided a militant lair in Bir al-Abd and found weapons, explosives, and explosive belts
The Egyptian Interior Ministry announced the death of 18 “armed men” in an exchange of fire with security forces in the Bir al-Abd area of northern Sinai on Sunday, two days after an armored vehicle from the Army was attacked in the area and 10 soldiers died and were injured.
The ministry said in a statement that “National Security received intelligence on terrorist elements hidden in a house in Bir al-Abd … to launch its hostile operations.”
The statement added that security forces attacked the site and an exchange of fire resulted in the death of 18 (armed) elements.
The ministry said security forces found 13 automatic weapons, two explosive belts and three other explosive devices intended for use.
On Thursday, the Egyptian army announced the explosion of an explosive device in an armored vehicle near the city of Bir al-Abd, and 10 soldiers died and were wounded, including an officer.
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What is known as ISIS claimed responsibility for this attack, through a statement on some of the organization’s propaganda sites and pages.
The Northern Sinai governorate is located in northeast Egypt, on the border with the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, and is witness to the Egyptian army’s military operations against extremist organizations and a local branch of the Islamic State.
In a quick response to this attack, the Egyptian army announced on Friday that two militants had been killed in northern Sinai.
Col. Tamer Al-Rifai, a spokesman for the Egyptian army, said the military “can attack (2) high-risk Takfiri individuals, who were found to be in possession of multiple machine guns, a wireless device and a number of ammunition.”
Armed operations have intensified in Egypt since the army ousted former Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi after popular protests in 2013.
Egypt introduced heavy weapons and army battalions into Sinai for the first time since the signing of the peace treaty with Israel at Camp David in 1978, and in February 2018, the Egyptian army announced a massive military operation in Sinai (Comprehensive Operation from Sinai 2018).
