25 IS-linked jihadists said killed in Sinai
Egyptian airstrikes reportedly target Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a week after deadly attacks against soldiers
The Egyptian army killed some 25 IS-affiliated jihadists in the Sinai Peninsula on Friday, according to a report by Israel Radio.
The army carried out several airstrikes in the region, targeting members of the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group with its Apache helicopters.
Clashes between Islamists and Egyptian troops broke out after a large attack last Thursday, when jihadists targeted security forces with rockets and a car bomb in North Sinai province in simultaneous attacks claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State group. At least 30 people were killed in the attacks.
Last week’s attacks were the deadliest since October 2014 when 30 soldiers were killed and scores wounded in simultaneous assaults.
The Islamic State group’s Egyptian affiliate, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, claimed responsibility for those assaults, saying on Twitter that it had “executed extensive, simultaneous attacks in the cities of el-Arish, Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah.”
The organization in November pledged allegiance to IS, which has captured large chunks of territory in Syria and Iraq.
Also Friday, 35 Islamic State fighters were said killed in Mosul, Iraq, in a series of airstrikes carried out by the Jordanian military.
AFP contributed to this report.
