An Egyptian army M 60 tank driving in an urban setting is shown in an image grab taken from a handout video released by the Egyptian military spokesman on December 8, 2020. AFP CAIRO - At least five Egyptian military personnel were killed in a militant attack in northern Sinai on Wednesday, two security sources said, the second deadly strike against security forces on the peninsula in less than a week.
Four others were injured when armed men opened fire at a security post in the northeastern Sinai area, which borders the Gaza Strip, the sources said.
There was no immediate comment from the Egyptian authorities.
The deaths came after a May 7 ambush at a checkpoint in Sinai that killed 11 Egyptian soldiers and was claimed by the Islamic State, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years.
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Since a major counter-insurgency operation was launched in 2018, Egypt expanded security control over populated coastal areas of northern Sinai, but attacks by militants linked to Islamic State have continued.
The attack came after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met US national security advisor Jake Sullivan in Cairo. The Egyptian presidency said that they discussed the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States, which is a major provider of military aid to Cairo.
On Monday, Sisi expressed hopes for deeper counter-terrorism ties with Washington in a meeting with the general who oversees US forces in the Middle East, a US military official said.