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Three Egyptian soldiers killed in Sinai blast

Published April 24th, 2016 - 11:00 GMT
Egyptian army soldiers block Salah Salem highway to prevent supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi from crossing during their demonstration in Cairo, on July 19, 2013.
(AFP/Marwan Naamani)
Egyptian army soldiers block Salah Salem highway to prevent supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi from crossing during their demonstration in Cairo, on July 19, 2013. (AFP/Marwan Naamani)

The incident took place early on Sunday when security forces were on patrol to arrest militants in a southern village of the Sheikh Zuweid town, located in North Sinai Province, the Cairoportal website reported.

One officer along with two other military forces lost their lives while another trooper sustained injuries after an improvised explosive device went off.

No individual or militant group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, but such incidents are often blamed on militants affiliated with the Daesh group.

The government in Cairo views Sinai Peninsula as a safe haven for militants.

The sparsely populated desert region has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, following a deadly attack that left 33 Egyptian soldiers dead.

Over the past years, militants have been carrying out anti-government activities and fatal attacks, taking advantage of the turmoil caused in Egypt after Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military in July 2013.

Militants from the Velayat Sinai group, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks, mainly targeting the army and police.

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