From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Hamas ups Gaza-Sinai border security following Egypt attack
The Hamas terror group says it will increase security along the Gaza-Sinai border in the wake of an Islamic State-claimed attack on Egyptian security forces that killed or injured 26 soldiers in the northern Peninsula over the weekend.
According to the Palestinian news agency Ma’an, Hamas Deputy Interior Minister Tawfiq Abu Naim says that the group is tightening the border “to prevent any cases of wanted fugitives attempting to sneak into Gaza from Egypt.”
IS has been leading a deadly insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and cracked down on his supporters.
On Friday, the jihadists had attacked several Sinai checkpoints with car bombs and heavy gunfire in a coordinated assault, for which IS later claimed responsibility in a statement.
The military said the attack killed or wounded 26 soldiers, without providing a death toll.
— with Agencies
The Times of Israel Community.