BICOM

Egypt’s military announced yesterday that it had killed twelve armed Islamists in the Sinai Peninsula in an air strike, as Egyptian forces looked to quell violence against its troops from groups also thought to be threatening Israel.

Egyptian military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali confirmed that an air assault on Saturday night targeted twenty five Islamists who were wanted for the killing of sixteen Egyptian soldiers last year and the abduction of seven security personnel earlier this year. An Egyptian official told AP that three helicopters struck the desert town of Sheik Zuweyid late on Saturday, killing twelve and wounding another dozen.

Since the ouster of Mohammed Morsi from power in Egypt last month, the Sinai, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, has been plagued by violence. In a series of incidents, Islamist groups have attacked Egyptian security positions. In a bid to restore order, Egypt’s military has deployed significant forces in Sinai, with Israel’s permission, as required by the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace agreement. The violence has also threatened Israel, with two Grad rockets fired from Sinai at the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat in April. Only last week, Eilat airport was temporarily closed due to a security threat.

Saturday’s Egyptian air operation follows the destruction of a terror cell in Sinai late Friday through an air strike that killed four people. Reuters reported that the four individuals were preparing to launch rockets at Israel. The report also suggested that an Israeli Air Force drone had been responsible for the strike while AFP reported that the operation was conducted in coordination with Egyptian forces. Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon issued a statement emphasising that Israel “respects Egypt’s full sovereignty” and “We will not allow rumours and speculations…to harm the peace agreement” between the two countries. Ya’alon added that the “Egyptian army is fighting first and foremost to protect Egyptian civilians.”