Egypt security forces killed in Sinai attacks

Officials say bomb attack killed 11 soldiers in region, where attacks on army have been regular since 2013 coup.

At least 11 soldiers have been killed in an attack on an army convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, according to local security and medical sources. 

Two were killed by a roadside bomb and the others were shot dead as they tried to flee, the security sources said on Tuesday.

Armed groups in the Sinai Peninsula have stepped up attacks on policemen and soldiers since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi toppled Muslim Brotherhood-backed president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

The government makes no distinction between the Brotherhood and armed groups operating in the Sinai.

The attacks initially targeted security forces in Sinai, a remote but strategic part of Egypt located between Israel, the Gaza Strip and the Suez Canal.

However, in time, the attacks by fighters have been extended their reach, with bombings on Egypt’s mainland.

The violence has hurt tourism, a pillar of the economy.

Source: Al Jazeera