Three blasts rock Egypt's military convoy in Sinai Peninsula
Iran Press TV
Fri Jan 3, 2014 6:38PM GMT
Egyptian authorities say three blasts have targeted a military convoy in the country's restive Sinai Peninsula.
Security officials say four soldiers were injured as explosions from roadside bombs hit the town of Sheikh Zuweid near the border with the Gaza Strip.
Attacks and bombings by suspected al-Qaeda militants in the region have been on the rise during the past several months, especially after the ouster of former president Mohammed Morsi.
Egypt's military-backed interim government accuses the Muslim Brotherhood of being behind attacks on security forces there, a charge the group flatly denies.
The Sinai Peninsula has long been considered a safe haven for militants and criminal gangs to conduct terrorist attacks.
Militant groups and criminals have exploited a security vacuum that developed in the Sinai since the 2011 uprising against the country's former dictator Hosni Mubarak.
Occasionally, tribal Bedouins in the increasingly lawless peninsula would briefly kidnap foreigners to use them as bargaining chips with authorities, urging them to release imprisoned relatives.
In response, Cairo launched an offensive against armed groups in Sinai, sending thousands of troops backed by tanks and heavy equipment into the region.
JR/AB
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
