Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has declared a state of emergency in the North Sinai hours after at least 33 soldiers were killed and 30 injured in two separate attacks. The state of emergency will last three months and include a curfew between 5PM and 7AM. According to state media, at least 30 soldiers were killed and 30 injured after a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into a military checkpoint, killing the soldiers, primarily in their twenties, that had been stationed at the Karm Al-Qawadees checkpoint. Hours later, three security officials were killed when militants opened fire on at a security checkpoint near Al-Arish. The Minister of Defence has commenced a ‘large military operation’ in Egypt’s Sinai to locate and target extremist militant groups. According to local media, the operation had commenced with the targeting of multiple hideouts and areas using Apache helicopters. As part of the military operation, the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was shut down indefinitely. Following the attacks, Egypt’s President also declared three days of national mourning. Meanwhile, at least 10 conscripts were injured during a raid after their armoured personnel vehicle overturned, reported…
Egypt declares curfew in North Sinai after 33 soldiers killed
October 25, 2014
