Cairo moves added troops to border with Gaza to ‘clean’ area of Islamists


Long column of Egyptian tanks & armored personnel vehicles, which appears to be one of the Army’s largest units deployed to the area in recent years, witness reports.

 

 

A military official says Egypt is deploying new troops backed by tanks and other armored vehicles to insurgent strongholds in the northern Sinai Peninsula.

Egyptian Army soldiers patrol in Sinai.

+++Egyptian Army soldiers patrol in an armored vehicle backed by a helicopter gunship during a sweep through villages in in Sheikh Zuweyid, northern Sinai, Egypt in May. – Photo: AP

 

He says the army will “clean” areas around the towns of Rafah and Sheikh Zuweyid on the border with the Gaza Strip and two nearby villages, al-Qurea and al-Dhahir, where Islamic militants operate. He spoke on condition of anonymity according to rules.

A witness says the column of tanks, trucks carrying infantry, rocket launchers and other military vehicles on the road Saturday appears to be one of the largest units deployed to the area in recent years. He spoke anonymously for fear of being involved.

The troop movement follows a failed Thursday car bomb attack on the Interior Minister’s convoy in Cairo that killed one person.

 

View original HAARETZ publication at: http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.545634