El-Arish security checkpoint hit by another attack

Egyptian military troops in Northern Sinai

The unidentified gunmen attacked the security checkpoint in the Rayesa neighborhood close to El-Arish (Sinai) early on Sunday, on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, a big Muslim holiday at the end of Ramadan.

According to the security sources the attack took place on the Arish-Rafah International road and was conducted by a group of armed men driving the SUV car. They appeared immediately and opened fire at the security checkpoint. The security forces returned fire, and the attackers fled into the desert south of El-Arish.

No casualties were reported.

The security checkpoint in the Rayesa neighborhood saw the series of repeated attacks from the unidentified armed men during the last year after fall of Egypt’s long standing President Hosni Mubarak.

Major General Sedky Sobhy, chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces, arrived today in Arish in attempt to follow up on the ongoing massive military operation conducted by Egypt’s armed forces in Sinai after the border attack near Rafah at the beginning of August which left 16 Egyptian soldiers dead. Sobhy had also the meeting with the troop leaders and security authorities in North Sinai at the headquarters of one of the battalions of the armed forces in El-Arish.

“Operation Eagle” is one of the most massive military actions carried out in the region by Egypt’s armed forces after the times of the last Arab-Israeli war. Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsy told he is heading the operation by himself and it will continue until the security will be restored in the region and the situation will be stable. The operation is targeted against the suspected militants who conducted the deadly Rafah attack and is conducted in order to eliminate the terrorist network built on the territory of Sinai.