ISIS militants kill 18 police in attack on convoy in Egypt’s Sinai

EL-ARISH, Egypt — Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants ambushed a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing 18 police and wounding seven others in one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip. Police and military officials said roadside bombs destroyed and set ablaze four armored vehicles and a fifth carrying signal-jamming equipment meant to neutralize roadside bombs that are remotely detonated. The gunmen later opened fire with assault weapons and commandeered a police pick-up truck truck. Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general. READ MORE: Gunmen kill five Egyptian policemen near Cairo

The attack took place about 30km west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicentre of a long-running rebellion now led by an ISIL affiliate. The wounded included a police brigadier general, according to the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. Monday’s attack was the deadliest against security forces since July, when Islamic State militants attacked a remote army outpost in the border town of Rafah, killing 23 soldiers. It is one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip. Egypt has battled militants in Sinai for years, but the insurgency became far more deadly after the 2013 military ousting of Mohammed Morsi, an elected Islamist president. Monday’s attack came a day after authorities said they had busted a militant cell planning attacks in Cairo. Police said they killed 10 militants in two simultaneous raids on apartments in a densely populated Cairo neighbourhood. They said the militants sneaked into the capital from northern Sinai, but did not say whether they were members of the IS group.
Militants ambush a police convoy in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula killing 18 police and wounding seven others.