Egypt's Health Ministry has said that the armed attack that targeted a bus carrying cement workers in Sinai early Monday had resulted in three deaths and injured 16 others.
According to Tarek Khater, head of the ministry's department in North Sinai, the attackers killed Salem al-Husseiny and Hassan al-Nabawi. A third victim, Mahmoud Abdel Razek, 22, died of his injuries.
The armed attackers fired an RPG missile at the bus, which was driving the workers back to Arish. Army spokesperson Colonel Ali Ahmed Ali said that the attackers were aiming at a police vehicle on the Arish-Bir Lahfan road, but the missile missed its target and hit the bus instead.
The Sinai Peninsula has witnessed several attacks on police and army facilities since Egypt’s January 2011 revolution, mostly blamed on extremist and bedouin elements. The rate of attacks increased with the overthrow of Mohamed Morsy from Egypt’s presidency on 3 July.
The army has recently been ratcheting up operations against criminal elements in the region. Anadolu Agency has put the number of militants killed since Morsy’s ouster at 37.
Edited translation from MENA
