Al-Arish, Egypt: Islamic militants on Wednesday unleashed a wave of simultaneous attacks, including a suicide car bombing, on Egyptian army checkpoints in the restive north of the Sinai Peninsula, killing at least 50 soldiers, security and military officials said.
Reuters earlier reported that 22 "terrorists" were killed in the attacks that also left 10 soldiers dead, citing an Egyptian military source. It later revised the number to 50. AP reported, that 38 people were killed.
The huge body count and the brazenness of the attacks indicate the jihadist group has racheted up their campaign in Egypt.
The attacks took place just south of the town of Sheikh Zuweid and targeted at least six military checkpoints, the officials said.
The militants also took soldiers captive and seized several armored vehicles, they added, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The attacks came just two days after the assassination in Cairo of the country's top prosecutor, Hisham Barakat and just one day after President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sissi vowed to step up a two-year crackdown on militants.
Militants in northern Sinai, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, have battled security forces for years but stepped up their attacks following the July 2013 military ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Mursi after days of mass street protests against his rule.
Al-Sissi, then the nation's army chief, led the ouster and went to become Egypt's president, winning a landslide election a year ago.
Wednesday's attacks came in swift response to el-Sissi's pledge the previous day to carry out justice for the prosecutor general's assassination - and possibly move to execute Muslim Brotherhood leaders, an Islamist group from which Mursi hails.
Tougher campaign
Pounding his fist as he spoke Tuesday at the funeral of Barakat, who led the prosecution and oversaw scores of cases against thousands of Islamists, Al-Sissi's comments seemed to signal an even tougher campaign on the Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest Islamist group that is now outlawed and declared a terrorist organisation.
Egypt has since Mursi's ouster waged a crackdown that has led to thousands of arrests, mass convictions and death sentences. Mursi is among those condemned to die, but has a potentially lengthy appeal process ahead of him.
Al-Sissi said the government was ready to brush aside criticisms and free the judiciary's hand for a "battle" the country is prepared to wage.
"The judiciary is restricted by laws, and swift justice is also restricted by laws. We will not wait for that," el-Sissi said.
Action will be taken within days "to enable us to execute the law, and bring justice as soon as possible," he said. "We will stand in the face of the whole world, and fight the whole world."
In a thinly veiled reference to jailed members of the Brotherhood, el-Sissi blamed the violence on those "issuing orders from behind bars," and warned: "If there is a death sentence, it will be carried out."
