The Egyptian armed forces declared Sunday that its forces killed five militants in after armed clashes in Sheikh Zuweid city in North Sinai.
On the official spokesperson’s page on Facebook, the armed forces indicated that troops from the Second Field Army were on patrol, when they faced shootings from a number of militants. They received orders to open fire on the militants, killing five of them, according to the statement.
Reports circulated on social media alleged that an EMT, Rada El-Shaat, was killed by militants and that an officer with solider were killed as a result of IED planted under their tank.
On Friday, a police officer was reportedly killed after being injured in clashes with militants in the city of Rafah. The officer was immediately transferred to Maadi Military Hospital to receive health care but died in the hospital.
Last week, three soldiers were killed in an attack on an army patrol near Sheikh Zuweid. An IED ambush struck the patrol near Al-Wahshi checkpoint. At least one soldier was injured, according to local reports. The army is yet to officially announce its account of the attack.
Sinai has become the scene of frequent clashes between militants and state security forces; intensified counter insurgency operations were launched to curb militancy inside Sinai. These operations have imposed a state of emergency in the northern regions of the peninsula.
State security forces launched their campaign called “Retribution for the Martyr”, which has resulted in the killing of hundreds of militants in the first and second phases of the operation. State security forces disrupted internet and phone services Saturday for 12 hours; they then carried out raids in Al-Arish, Sheikh Zuweid, and Rafah regions.
This disruption caused outrage among inhabitants who need these services to carry out daily duties related to their work and life.
Many parts of the North Sinai governorate are now under partial curfew, which had been in place since October 2014, when a deadly attack on an army checkpoint left 30 dead.