Eight Troops Killed in Militant Attack in Egypt's Sinai

Eight Egyptian servicemen were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in Northern Sinai, spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Mohamed Samir said.

CAIRO (Sputnik) – On Thursday, a car bomb explosion was staged at a checkpoint in the north of the Egyptian Sinai peninsula. During the shootout with terrorists, eight servicemen were killed and three terrorists were eliminated, Samir told journalists.

Egypt has been conducting anti-terrorist operations in North Sinai for the last two years, amid the rise of Islamists in the region, particularly the "Sinai Province" ("Wilayat Sinai") militant group.

The group, formerly known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, changed its name after taking an oath of allegiance to the radical Sunni group Daesh in the fall of 2014. Daesh is banned in a number of countries, including Russia.

Ansar Bait al-Maqdis emerged after the 2011 Egyptian revolution, which forced former President Hosni Mubarak out of power after an over 30-year rule. The militants aim to topple Egypt’s current government.