On Tuesday a conscript, affiliated to the Third Field Army, was killed after he foiled a suicide bomb plot on Tuesday, that targeted a cement factory, its workers and army forces located in Central Sinai.
The army conscript, Waheed Yahya Gamal, scarified his life to open fire on a vehicle that was being driven by a suicide bomber and member of IS affiliated group ‘Sinai Province’.
According to a statement released from a ‘Sinai Province’ affiliated media outlet, the attack was to be carried out by their member ‘Abu El Qaaqa Al-Ansari’.
The group published several photos of the attack and its perpetrator, saying that the attack target was the army checkpoint based in the area that lead to a cement factory located near ‘Al-Hasna’ region inside ‘Baghdad’ village in Central Sinai.
The 21 year-old Waheed Yahya Gamal opened fire on the vehicle before its arrival to the cement factory in North Sinai. Gamal managed to kill the suicide bomber, however the explosion of the vehicle led to his death, army source told Egypt Independent on condition of anonymity.
“The heroism of Waheed stopped a potential catastrophe, that if it had happened would have resulted in many deaths and injuries; the vehicle was just approaching the main gate of the factory where he was in duty,” the army source explained.
The group, formerly known as Ansar Byat El Maqdus, pledged allegiance to IS in 2014.
Since declaring its affiliation to IS, the group has intensified its attacks against army and police forces based in North Sinai. The army is still conducting ongoing operations as part of its ‘Martyrs Right’ campaign to eliminate the presence of the group.
Activity of the group reached its peak in February, when numerous Coptic residents in North Sinai started to flee the governorate in the wake of an unprecedented wave of violence that included burning and slaughtering of Copts and other civilians.
Sinai Province considers the army and police force as apostates as well as civilians who do not support the group.
