Bomb kills two Egyptian troops in Sinai

Third soldier wounded in roadside attack in el-Arish, scene of frequent attacks by Islamist militants on security forces

By AFP 26 December 2014, 1:51 am

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Illustrative. Army trucks carry Egyptian military tanks in el-Arish, in the northern Sinai Peninsula, August 2012 (AP)

A roadside bomb struck an Egyptian army vehicle late Thursday killing an officer and a soldier in the insurgent flashpoint of the Sinai Peninsula, security officials said.

The attack occurred south of the town of el-Arish, scene of frequent attacks by Islamist militants on security forces.

One army officer and a soldier were killed in the blast, while another soldier was wounded.

Egypt’s military has been battling an insurgency on the peninsula since it overthrew Islamist president Mohammed Morsi last year and cracked down on his supporters.

The government declared a state of emergency in parts of North Sinai after an October 24 suicide attack near el-Arish killed 30 soldiers in the deadliest assault on security forces since Morsi’s ouster.

Militant groups claim their attacks are in retaliation for a government crackdown targeting Morsi’s supporters that has left hundreds dead and thousands jailed.