Egyptian army kills 63 militants in North Sinai

And in Gaza, militants who support ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula have been staging small attacks against Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The army found four radical hideouts and infected them Apache machines and earth infantry.

At his meeting with officers and soldiers, the President said that the situation in Sinai is not only under control, but is also completely stable.

Cairo, Jul 4 (PTI) Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi today made an unannounced visit to rally troops in restive North Sinai region following a wave of deadly attacks on security forces in the area.

Fighting between the militants of the Sinai Province group and Egyptian forces has been going on for days but it seems to be taking a new turning point after the militia group willingly fired rockets into Israeli controlled area.

The assault, which was claimed by an Islamic State group affiliate, lasted a whole day and was unprecedented in its size and coordination.

The self-styled Sinai Province of the Islamic State said the attacks included three suicide bombings and the use of heavy weapons, guided rockets and anti-aircraft missiles.

Elsewhere, Egyptian authorities arrested 13 members of the Muslim Brotherhood on suspicion of planting bombs around the Suez Canal to disrupt shipping, security sources said on Monday. Brotherhood leaders, who have called for an uprising against Sisi but typically avoid explicit endorsement of violence, vehemently deny any affiliation.

The President said the current incidents affirmed the assumption that the Islamists wanted and try to forcefully carry it out now, a message, which was clearly perceived by all Egyptians. The armed forces statement accompanied photos of killed militants with camouflage gears.

Late Wednesday, a resident of Sheikh Zuweid who was in Cairo and had spoken by phone to relatives and friends in the town, said many civilians were trapped by the fighting, with no water or electricity.

Samuel Tadros, a Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, however, told the Post Egypt is preoccupied “with its own fight against terrorism and is unable to project power overseas”.

In order for the Egyptians to be effective they need new equipment for surveillance, specifically drones to more precisely combat the jihadists and move away from a conventional military doctrine in the Sinai, Awad said.

Israel’s military said the rocket was sacked into southern Israel on Friday afternoon, hitting an open field but causing no damage or injuries. The unique position of the military in Egypt, unrivalled by any in the Muslim Middle East, places great responsibility and affords legitimacy to its leaders for political action in times of national crises.