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Two Egyptian service members and three pro-government tribal fighters had been killed in clashes with ISIS cells in Sinai Peninsula, the New Arab reported on June 11.
According to the London-based newspaper, the clashes took place near the city of Rafah in the northeastern part of Sinai. The newspaper said that the five victims were killed in the same attack. However, ISIS’s news agency, Amaq, reported three rounds of clashes with government forces near Rafah between June 10 and 11.
The slain service members were identified as Warrant Officer Ihab Fathy Mohamed and Sergeant Ahmed Ismail Al-Tawil from the 280th Division.
Two of the tribal fighters who were killed in the clashes, Younis Al Shahrukh and Youssef Al Attar, were from the Ermilat tribe, while the third, Omar Suleiman Al-Sawarka, was from Al Sawarka tribe.
ISIS cells in Sinai stepped up their attacks on Egyptian government forces recently. On May 7, eleven Egyptian service members were killed as a result of an attack by ISIS on one of the Suze Canal’s water pumping stations in western Sinai. Later on May 11, the military acknowledged that five service members were killed and two others were wounded while repelling a terrorist attack near Rafah, which was claimed by ISIS.
Egyptian government forces have been operating nonstop against ISIS cells in Sinai. Despite this, the terrorist group’s insurgency in the peninsula appears to be far from being over.
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This area was stolen during 6 day war and then returned to Egypt. Why is ISISrael back there???