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Military Statement : We Will Purge Sinai of Terrorism

A series of deadly attacks on military checkpoints in the north Sinai towns of of Sheikh Zowed and Rafah killed 17 army personnel on July 1, according to the Egyptian authorities. Early reports from local news sources said at least 64 security personnel were killed.

The Egyptian Ministry of Defense released an audio statement with text, saying a terrorist group targeted military checkpoints using car bombs and various weapons, killing 17 members of the Armed Forces, and injuring 13 others.

At 00.48 the statement reads, “The brave men of the Armed Forces were able to confront these terrorist elements and divert them from reaching their goals.”

At 1:06 the statement reads, “The Armed Forces with support from the Air Force pursued and destroyed their gathering points, and killed at least 100 terrorist elements, and injuring others”.

At 1:02, "Additionally, 20 vehicles used by this criminal group were destroyed, and currently we are sweeping the region.

At 2.08, “To the great people of Egypt, your armed forces are in a fierce and uncompromising war against terrorism, and we assure our great people that we will persist in uprooting this black terrorism, we will not relent until Sinai is cleansed from all terrorist enclaves, and the homeland is safe and stable.”

The statement closes with condolences for the killed officers.

A statement shared online described as coming from Sinai Province, an insurgency group with ties to Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Credit: YouTube/ Egyptian Ministry of Defense