AL ARISH, Egypt: The Daesh group claimed responsibility for attacking a remote Egyptian army outpost in the Sinai Peninsula with a suicide car bomb and heavy machine-gun fire. The assault killed at least 23 soldiers in the deadliest attack in the turbulent region in two years.
The Daesh made the claim after nightfall on Friday, saying in an online statement that it had carried out the attack as the Egyptian army was preparing an assault on Daesh positions in Sinai.
The coordinated attack suggested the Sinai-based terrorists are among the region’s most resilient, after Daesh in Iraq and Syria, where the so-called ‘caliphate’ is now witnessing its demise. And it underscored the struggles Egyptian forces face in trying to rein in the insurgency.
Egypt has for years battled militants in Sinai, where the terrorists have exploited the vast arid and underdeveloped region and its Bedouin population as an ideal incubator for militancy even before the Daesh affiliate has emerged at the forefront of the insurgency.
Friday’s assault began in the early morning, when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the village of Al Barth, southwest of the border town of Rafah.
Dozens of masked terrorists then descended on the site in 24 Land Cruiser SUVs and opened fire on the soldiers with machine guns, according to security officials.
The shooting lasted nearly half an hour, the officials added, speaking on condition of anonymity because of regulations. The troops at the compound were estimated to have numbered about 60.
When the attack subsided, the terrorists apparently looted the checkpoint, snatching weapons and ammunition before fleeing, the officials said. A number of terrorists were killed in the shoot-out, indicating the soldiers had fought back, and some of their vehicles were abandoned at the scene.
The suicide blast at the start of the attack likely disabled the checkpoint’s military communications system, prompting one of the officers to use his own cell phone to record an audio message and send it to a colleague via WhatsApp, seeking help and asking for prayers. The message was later widely circulated on social media.
“This might be the last seconds in my life,” a man’s voice calmly says in the recording. “Quickly, oh men, anyone who knows how to reach the command centre, notify them to use artillery as we are still alive.”
He then praises God and ends by saying “we will either avenge them or die,” referring to his fallen colleagues.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the United States strongly condemns the Sinai attack and continues “to stand with Egypt as it confronts terrorism.”
The security officials initially put the death toll at 10 but later told AP that more bodies were pulled from under the rubble of a nearby building that was used as a rest house for troops.
According to the Daesh statement, a second car bomber was used in the attack to strike an army convoy sent as a reinforcement to the embattled soldiers. The authenticity of the Daesh claim could not be verified but it was circulated by Daesh supporters online and by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors terrorist websites.
OIC condemns attack
Jeddah: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on an Egyptian security checkpoint in the town of Rafah that left 23 soldiers dead and 33 others injured.
Dr Yousuf A. Al Othaimeen, Secretary-General of the organisation, expressed solidarity with Egypt in all measures taken in its fight against terrorism, reiterating the organisation’s denunciation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
He also extended his condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and wished the injured quick recovery.
Arab Parliament Speaker, Dr Mishaal Bin Fahm Al Salami, has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on an Egyptian security checkpoint in the town of Rafah.
In a statement, Al Salami expressed the Arab Parliament’s support and solidarity with Egypt in all measures taken against terrorist groups and criminal armed gangs, who spread chaos, intimidate citizens, create insecurity and instability.
He said that such cowardly terrorist acts carried out by foreign-sponsored criminal groups would not discourage Egypt from continuing its efforts to counter terrorism and eliminate such terrorist groups.
— WAM
