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| Dozens dead in Egypt after wave of attacks on army checkpoints | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Islamic militants have killed at least 30 soldiers in a wave of simultaneous attacks, including a suicide car bombing, on Egyptian army checkpoints in the Sinai peninsula, security and military officials said. | Islamic militants have killed at least 30 soldiers in a wave of simultaneous attacks, including a suicide car bombing, on Egyptian army checkpoints in the Sinai peninsula, security and military officials said. |
| The attacks took place just south of the town of Sheikh Zuweid and targeted at least six military checkpoints, the officials said. The militants also took soldiers captive and seized several armoured vehicles, they added. | The attacks took place just south of the town of Sheikh Zuweid and targeted at least six military checkpoints, the officials said. The militants also took soldiers captive and seized several armoured vehicles, they added. |
| Egypt’s Islamic State (Isis) affiliate claimed responsibility for wave of deadly attacks. | |
| Related: Egyptian president 'to change law to allow faster executions' | Related: Egyptian president 'to change law to allow faster executions' |
| Wednesday’s attacks came two days after the assassination of Hisham Barakat, the country’s chief prosecutor, in Cairo, and a day after the president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, vowed to step up a two-year crackdown. | Wednesday’s attacks came two days after the assassination of Hisham Barakat, the country’s chief prosecutor, in Cairo, and a day after the president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, vowed to step up a two-year crackdown. |
| Militants in northern Sinai, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, have battled the security forces for years but stepped up their attacks following the removal from office in July 2013 by the military of the former president Mohammed Morsi after days of mass street protests against his rule. | Militants in northern Sinai, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, have battled the security forces for years but stepped up their attacks following the removal from office in July 2013 by the military of the former president Mohammed Morsi after days of mass street protests against his rule. |
| Sisi, then the head of the Egyptian armed forces, went on to become the president after winning a landslide election a year ago. | Sisi, then the head of the Egyptian armed forces, went on to become the president after winning a landslide election a year ago. |
| The attacks came in swift response to Sisi’s pledge to carry out justice for the prosecutor general’s assassination – and possibly move to execute Muslim Brotherhood leaders, a group from which Morsi hails. | The attacks came in swift response to Sisi’s pledge to carry out justice for the prosecutor general’s assassination – and possibly move to execute Muslim Brotherhood leaders, a group from which Morsi hails. |
| Since Morsi’s removal, Egypt has waged a crackdown that has led to thousands of arrests, mass convictions and death sentences. Morsi is among those condemned to death, but has a potentially lengthy appeal process ahead of him. | Since Morsi’s removal, Egypt has waged a crackdown that has led to thousands of arrests, mass convictions and death sentences. Morsi is among those condemned to death, but has a potentially lengthy appeal process ahead of him. |