Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Egyptian branch of the Islamic state has claimed today a series of attacks carried out late in the day yesterday, which led to the death 27 soldiers and police.
The attacks
reveal a high level of coordination and timing. The first attack took place in
Al-Arish with a bombing at a military hostel in northern Sinai, which killed 25
people and wounded 58, including nine civilians. The local office of the
newspaper al-Ahram, opposite the hostel,
was "completely destroyed".
Later, militants killed a major and wounded six other soldiers in a checkpoint
in Rafah, near Gaza. Later there was a car bomb explosion in south of Al-Arish,
which injured four soldiers. Finally, there was an attempt to blow up a power
station in Port Said, but the militant was killed.
By posting
phrases and photos of the militants via Twitter, the attacks were claimed by
the group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, once close to al Qaeda. Last year, it allied
with the Islamic State, changing its name to "Waliyat Sinai",
Province of Sinai.
Attacks in Al-Arish and Rafah are quite common after the fall of Mohamed Morsi
and exclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood from the power. The attack on Port Said
concerns the government more because the area is closer to the Suez Canal, the
sea route that supports the Egyptian economy.
The Arab Spring
of 2011 and disorder following Morsi's time in power have reduced foreign
investment and tourism. So far the revenues from the Suez Canal remain
unchanged or have dropped only slightly.
President Abdelfattah al Sisi has promised to revive the Egyptian economy,
providing more security, although many critics accuse him of cracking down even
on citizens.