Seven security checkpoints were attacked on Friday in Sinai by armed groups, security sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
The security sources said the gunmen were probably affiliated with the group that had previously attacked the North Sinai town of Arish's police station and bombed the pipeline carrying natural gas to Israel. Police and military forces have been pursuing assailants since Monday.
According to the sources, the attack on security checkpoints began on Thursday evening.
The most severe attack was at the Reisa checkpoint on the international road between Sinai and Jordan, east of the entrance to Arish, where a gunfire exchange lasted an hour before the attackers escaped.
Traffic was suspended for two hours on the international road until eight armored vehicles and additional security forces were deployed to the area.
The same security sources claimed that the harsh blows to the armed groups in Sinai over the past days pushed them try to take revenge and prove their ability to continue attacks. They added that none of the assailants succeeded in entering Arish.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
