Residents of Egypt’s northern Sinai threaten protests

Locals accuse Cairo of extrajudicial killings of 10 youths; ministry says they were Islamic militants

By AP 15 January 2017, 8:16 pm

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Illustrative: This photo posted on a file sharing website Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, by the Islamic State Group in Sinai, shows a deadly attack by terrorists on an Egyptian police checkpoint, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in el-Arish, north Sinai, Egypt. (Islamic State Group in Sinai, via AP)

CAIRO — Egyptians in the restive northern Sinai city of el-Arish are threatening civil disobedience to protest against what they claim to be the extrajudicial killing of six youths by security forces.

The Interior Ministry announced Friday that police killed 10 Islamic militants in a shootout in el-Arish. However, the residents say six of them had been in police custody for months. The ministry denies the charge.

The residents met Saturday night and issued a statement, also demanding the release of youths detained without charge. A video of the meeting circulated online shows around 100 people gathered in the home of a prominent local family.

Northern Sinai is home to an insurgency led by an Islamic State affiliate. Residents often complain of what they say are heavy-handed tactics used by security forces.