The militants targeted a mosque near al-Arish
Suspected militants have launched a bomb and gun attack on a mosque
in Egypt's North Sinai province, killing 85 people, the state news
agency says.Witnesses told Egyptian media it happened in the town of Bir al-Abed near al-Arish during Friday prayers.
Local police said men in four off-road vehicles opened fire on
worshippers, AP reported. Egypt has been fighting an Islamist insurgency
in the region, which has intensified since 2013.
Some 80 people were also wounded in the attack, health officials
said. One report said the target appeared to be supporters of the
security forces who were praying at the mosque.
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is to meet security officials to
discuss the incident, Egypt's private Extra News TV reported. The latest
attack comes weeks after a deadly militant ambush of Egyptian soldiers
in Sinai.
It is not yet known who was behind Friday's attack. Jihadist
militants have been waging an insurgency in recent years, stepping up
attacks after Egypt's military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed
Morsi in July 2013.
Hundreds of police, soldiers and civilians have been killed since
then, mostly in attacks carried out by Sinai Province group, which is
affiliated to so-called Islamic State (IS).
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