Egyptian Police Kill 14 Arish Attack Suspects On Northern Sinai Peninsula - Statement

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2019) The Egyptian Interior Ministry's forces killed 14 militants in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, adding that the militants might have had a role in the recent attack on a law enforcement checkpoint in the city of Arish.

"In the course of the pursuit of the attackers, we have managed to locate a group of militants in one of the abandoned houses in al Msaid district," the ministry said in the statement.

The statement added that the militants had engaged with the police and had been killed by return fire. The militants had 14 weapons and three suicide belts with them.

The attack in Arish took place on Wednesday, leaving at least eight police offers killed. Moreover, at least five attackers had been killed in a shootout.

Media have reported that the Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia) had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Egyptian authorities have for years been engaged in anti-terror activities on the Sinai Peninsula, where militants have repeatedly staged deadly attacks. In 2014, a state of emergency was declared on the peninsula after militants attacked Egyptian security officers in the area.