Ten people killed by militants in a worksite, in Egypt

Ten people killed by militants in a worksite, in Egypt
Unknown militants in Egypt opened fire on workers in mid-Sinai, killing no less than ten people, The New Arab’s Arabic service reported on Tuesday.

2 min read
26 March, 2019
The militants killed most of workers in a worksite based in Sinai [Getty]
Unknown militants in Egypt opened fire on workers in mid-Sinai, killing no less than ten people, The New Arab’s Arabic service reported on Tuesday.

The militants are suspected to be members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province (ISIL-SP), a militant group active in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

The militants reportedly killed most of the workers in a worksite based in the Maghara region, middle of Sinai.

Security forces and emergency units arrived at the scene, three hours after the incidence and identified the victims as being from North Sinai Governorate and Upper Egypt.

This is not the first time that militants target worksites in Sinai, a renowned region for hosting works and projects belonging to Egyptian Air Force.

Since the army's overthrow of elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, hundreds of soldiers and police have died in attacks by extremist groups.

Civilians have also been targeted in jihadist attacks, particularly members of Egypt's minority Coptic Christian community.

Egypt's army launched a major operation against the jihadists in early 2018, originally scheduled to run three months, after an attack in North Sinai killed more than 300 people at a mosque.

The army says more than 550 suspected jihadists have been killed in its "Sinai 2018" offensive - which has also targeted militants elsewhere in Egypt - costing the lives of more than 30 soldiers. 

No independent figures are available and North Sinai is largely cut off to media and foreigners.



Follow us on Twitter: 
@The_NewArab