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Hotel in Egypt's Sinai peninsula hit by fatal twin blasts Hotel in Egypt's Sinai peninsula hit by fatal twin blasts
(35 minutes later)
Two bombs have exploded outside a hotel in Egypt housing election judges, killing at least four police officers and injuring 12 people, security and medical sources have said. Two bombs exploded outside a hotel in Egypt where election judges were staying, killing at least three people and injuring 12, security and medical sources told Reuters.
The blasts in the city of al-Arish on the Sinai peninsula came a day after the second round of a parliamentary elections closed. The blasts on Tuesday targeted the city of al-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula the day after voting in the second round of Egypt’s parliamentary election had closed. At least one policeman was killed and two judges injured.
A suicide bomber tried to drive a car bomb into the hotel before security forces opened fire on him, causing the car to explode, security sources said. At least two judges were among the injured, authorities added. A suicide bomber tried to drive a car bomb into the hotel before security forces opened fire on him, causing the car to explode, security sources said. A second blast then reportedly hit the area about 10 minutes later.
Ambulances rushed to the scene, which was sealed off by soldiers and police.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Islamic State’s Egypt affiliate, Sinai Province, has carried out similar attacks in the region as part of its bid to topple the government in Cairo. Sinai Province, a branch of Islamic State based in Northern Sinai, has frequently carried out such attacks in order to undermine attempts by Egypt’s military to control the restive peninsula. It also wishes to undermine the government in Cairo.
State television and security sources first said a car bomb exploded then a second blast hit the area about 10 minutes later. Ambulances rushed to the scene, which was sealed off by soldiers and police, said security sources. Attacks by jihadi militants in the area have increased since the toppling of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in June 2013.
Voters across 13 districts including North Sinai went to the polls on Sunday and Monday to elect a new parliament, part of Egypt’s self-titled “roadmap to democracy” put in place by Morsi’s successor, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
Jihadi militants in the area have frequently targeted judges and the apparatus of state security. In May, three judges were killed in a gun attack in al-Arish as they travelled to the local courthouse.
“The military has been concerned that jihadists would try to disrupt the elections,” said Daniel Nisman, a security analyst with the Tel Aviv-based Levantine Group. “We saw a big uptick in attacks yesterday, including a couple of IED attacks east of Arish and the assassination inside Arish of a police officer.”