img class="wp-image-258378" src="/app/uploads/2015/05/3-22-1024x683.jpg" alt="Islamic State-affiliated militant group "State of Sinai", formerly known as Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis, rose to prominence after the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood government in July 2013. (Photo from State of Sinai Twitter account) " width="255" height="170"/ Three army personnel were killed Saturday in Sheikh Zuweid after militants attacked a checkpoint with a rocket, the army spokesperson announced. Another four personnel were injured in the ongoing clashes. However, Egyptian state media reported five casualties, adding that the ambulance authority is unable to reach the site of clashes due to intense fighting between army troops and militants. Militant group ‘State of Sinai' claimed the attack, in a post published on social media pages of its affiliates. Earlier in the day, the armed forces said it intensified its operations in the restive Sinai Peninsula, announcing it killed 59 alleged militants Saturday in different confrontations. In two separate incidents the army said it killed a total of 45 militants, 25 of which were ambushed by security forces in South of Sheikh Zuweid. The armed forces released three videos of army jet fighters targeting alleged militant positions and trucks, killing a total of 14. In a recent development, Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi visited injured Sinai-based soldiers and officers in military hospitals. The army spokesperson said that Sobhi asserted the responsibility of the armed forces to counter the current insurgency in restive Sinai. "State of Sinai", formerly Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, pledged allegiance to "Islamic State" in November 2014.
