Egypt’s Armed Forces launch a new military operation in Sinai and denies cooperation with Israel

Egypt's military in Sinai

According to the official statements made by Egypt’s Armed Forces spokesperson Colonel Ahmed Ali late on Saturday, Egyptian Army has launched another military operation targeting the “terrorists and jihadists” in Northern Sinai.

The operation has been launched during the latest several days secretly, without revealing specific details until it will be finalized, according to the statement.

The special military operation in the area of Sheikh Zuweid, close to Egyptian-Israeli border, resulted in killing of nearly 17 terrorists, reported Egypt’s military. A few sites where the Islamist terrorists have been based were also destroyed during the operation.

According to the Army’s spokesperson Egypt’s military used loudspeakers to warn the residents to remain in their houses and not to leave them until the operation is ended for their own safety.

Additional troops and military technique was deployed in the area in the framework of the military operation, and late on Saturday several military apache helicopters have been patrolling the area and the reportedly targeted militants’ sites located near the border with the rocket fire.

There are some reports about some damages of the houses located in the area, as they’ve caught fire as a result of bombing, but there are no casualties and injuries among the local residents, reports Army.

Colonel Ahmed Ali, Egypt's Armed Forces official
spokesperson

Colonel Ahmed Ali declared in his statement Egypt’s Armed Forces have discovered a few sites of the militants and dealt with the terrorists as well. Nearly 17 militants have been killed as a result of a military operation, and a depot full of weapons and explosives was also found. Ahmed Ali also reported the attacked groups also included the culprits behind the killing of Egyptian border soldiers on Egyptian-Israeli border on 5 August 2012.

It’s worth mentioning also that Army spokesperson made earlier also the statements regarding the Friday evening explosions heard in the area of Ajraa, close to Rafah at the Egyptian-Israeli border.

On Friday the residents reported they’ve heard the huge explosions in the area. Armed Forces reported later that the rocket launcher has been destroyed by those explosions and five militants have been killed. But there were no further details on the incident, and the explosions have been followed by conflicting media reports, some of them claiming Israeli defense forces have been also involved in the attack.

There were the reports the explosions have been launched by Israeli drone after Egyptian military helicopters have been seen patrolling the area before and after the explosions. There have been reports of the possible military cooperation between Egypt and Israel, as Israel has reportedly stricken the rocket launcher after approval of Egyptian authorities.

Egypt's military checkpoint in Sinai

Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson Ahmed Ali has declined those reports and stressed there was no military cooperation between the neighboring countries and Egypt did not allow another country to launch a strike on its territory. Ahmed Ali also suggested media to verify their information before publishing it especially when it is about national security. Israeli Defense Ministry’s spokeswoman has refused to comment on the situation and didn’t give any details either.

Later on Saturday Egypt’s Army’s spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali made also the statement regarding the Friday explosion stressing it was in the frameworks of the unannounced military operation launched by Egyptian Armed Forces in Sinai in order to fight the jihadists located in the area.

Egypt's armed forces in Sinai

Egypt’s Intelligence apparatus has reported that they found out there were some plans of jihadists to target some vital spots in Sinai on Friday and to destroy also Al-Salam Bridge crossing the Suez Canal. State of emergency was declared among the soldiers and officers of the second field army and border guards in Sinai. Egypt’s military succeeded in destroying the jihadists’ rockets and rocket launcher located close to Egyptian-Israeli border and the explosion has also killed five militants.

Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula experienced the wave of violence and terrorist activities since the ouster of Egypt’s long standing President Hosni Mubarak, but the situation deteriorated significantly after Egypt’s Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsy has been deposed by Egypt’s military on 3 July following the massive protests against him across the country.

The terrorists’ attacks against Egypt’s armed and security forces happened on a daily basis.

Egypt’s Armed Forces also announced earlier that nearly 227 individuals accused of being the members of the terrorist organizations and groups operating in Sinai have been either killed or arrested by the military and security forces in the operations launched in July and August. 124 of those were either killed or injured, and 103 arrested and interrogated, according to the military.

As for the ongoing miliatry operation in Sinai Egypt's Armed Forces made a statement on Sunday there are 25 people dead or injured resulting the operation.