Egyptian security forces die in road accident

At least 21 Egyptian policemen have been killed in an accident after their driver lost control of their truck in the Sinai, where security forces are battling Islamist fighters, the interior ministry said. 

Another 25 people were injured in the accident near the border with Israel, the official MENA news agency reported.

The dead and injured conscripts belonged to the interior ministry’s Central Security Forces, which along with the army has been battling the fighters behind a series of deadly attacks in the lawless peninsula.

Al Jazeera’s Sherine Tadros, reporting from Cairo, said there were no indications that the incident was caused by foul play.

“They are calling it an accident; there is no suggestion that it was anything else. It happened near the Egyptian border with Israel. The vehicle was carrying dozens of officers that apparently overturned,” our correspondent said.

“We don’t know much more detail than that but of course this comes after a month long operation by the Egyptian security forces who are trying to crack down on the lawlessness of the region.”

Deadly road accidents are common in Egypt, due to bad road conditions and lax traffic regulations.