Egyptian anti-terrorist operation in Sinai leaves 18 extremists dead

The Egyptian army said Tuesday that it succeeded in aborting an attack by extremists on one of its positions in the northern part of the troubled Sinai peninsula and confronted the attackers, killing 18 of them, while two of its soldiers were killed and four others were injured.

In a written statement and a video released Tuesday, the Armed Forces Command said that several "takfiris" (extremists) attacked its men with four vehicles in the town of Bir al Abd in northeast Sinai. Troops supported by military aircraft then pursued the attackers into uninhabited fields and houses, killing 18 radicals, one of whom was wearing an explosive belt.

In addition, two uniformed personnel died and four were injured "as a result of these heroic actions," the army said in the video, which shows some of the terrorists killed and bloodied. Three vehicles loaded with explosives that were to be used by the extremists were also destroyed in the operation, he added.

The statement did not indicate the affiliation of the attackers, although the Egyptian branch of the jihadist group Daesh, called Wilayat Sina, is active in the region. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for this action, which was released several hours earlier on social networks, where images taken by residents of Bir al Abd during the alleged attack with firearms and explosives were circulated Tuesday.

The town has been the scene of attacks and clashes between Egyptian forces and insurgents, although the frequency and virulence of attacks has decreased since last year. Information provided by the army about its operations in Sinai has also decreased, and the press is barred from accessing it and is prohibited from obtaining independent information outside the official press.