10-Nov-13: More on the turbulence in Sinai

From a jihadist video put out on behalf
of Ansar Beit al-Maqdas [Image Source]

There's little awareness (or media coverage) outside the area of how violent Egypt's Sinai peninsula has grown.

From Ynet today:

• An Egyptian army source said 11 armed men were killed in clashes with army forces over the weekend in northern Sinai. 
• Egypt's military "exposed one of the most dangerous terror centers in northern Sinai", including the uncovering of an explosives lab.
• Eight people, six of them Palestinian Arabs, were arrested in the past day, having breached the Egypt/Gaza border via underground tunnels.
• The Egyptians say they destroyed 18 tunnels in Rafah. 
• In al-Arish, four senior members of the Salafist jihadist/terrorist group Ansar Beit al-Maqdas were arrested. 

Ansar Beit al-Maqdas has been in the local news frequently in recent months. In a statement that it circulated three weeks ago (see this Egyptian source), it called Egypt's military “the spearhead” in a war that benefits only the enemies of the nation, “Jews and Christians”. “We reiterate our advice to your people in Egypt to avoid army and police buildings because they are legitimate targets for jihadists,” said the group which has claimed responsibility for multiple terrorist attacks, including an assassination attempt - by bombing - on the life of Egypt's interior minister on September 5, 2013. 

Before that, it claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Israel's southern-most city ["13-Aug-13: Oh and by the way, a rocket fired by terrorist forces was shot down in the skies over Eilat during the night"]

From the Egypt Independent

• Gunmen attacked a security checkpoint in Masaeed, Arish, North Sinai early Saturday. The assailants escaped. Heavy fire was heard after the attack.

Al Ahram says

• A sniper shot dead an Egyptian soldier Wednesday in the lawless Sinai Peninsula where the army has been waging a relentless campaign to root out militants, a security official said. The 20-year-old conscript was killed while training at a military camp.
• Egypt's army has poured troops and armour into the Sinai to crush militant activity which has surged since the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3 amid mass protests against him. A subsequent crackdown on Islamists has resulted in more than 1,000 people being killed and more than 2,000 arrested nationwide.
• Dozens of soldiers and policemen have also been killed in near daily attacks in the Sinai as well as other parts of Egypt.