A gunfight between security forces and gunmen in North Sinai resulted in the death of army recruit Mohamed Hefny on Sunday. The recruit was part of a unit securing the North Sinai city of Sheikh Zuweid and was involved in "an exchange of fire with gunmen on the El-Goura – Sheikh Zuweid road", read a statement published by the armed forces on Sunday. A member of the armed forces media office confirmed there were no injuries and that security forces are searching for the perpetrators in the surrounding area. The armed forces asserted that it is "determined to continue its fight against black terrorism and groups of darkness that threaten the lives of Egyptians". Egypt's armed forces are conducting an ongoing operation in the volatile Sinai Peninsula to combat the increase of illegal activity in the region, focused mainly in the North Sinai governorate. Militancy has been on the rise in the peninsula, particularly in the number of attacks on security personnel and facilities in the region, with many attacks being claimed by militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, which was recently declared a terror organisation. The armed forces also expressed condolences for Hefny's family.
