Four civilians found dead in northern Sinai: Sources

Ahram Online , Thursday 6 Nov 2014

Unknown assailants shot dead four civilians in the restive Sinai Peninsula on Thursday, security sources told Aswat Masriya, in the latest in a series of killings in the border region.

The four bodies, all shot in the head, were found on a highway south of the north Sinai town of Al-Arish .

Security forces are investigating the incident to identify the culprits.

Egyptian authorities have been battling an Islamist insurgency, based in North Sinai, which has intensified since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Moris 16 months ago

At least 31 security personnel were killed by Sinai militants on 24 October, in one of the deadliest attacks since Morsi's removal. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, although the incident bears the hallmarks of Egypt's deadliest militant group, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis.

The violence had prompted authorities to declare a three-month state of emergency and a night-time curfew in parts of North Sinai.

Last month, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, which has killed scores of police and soldiers, released a video in which militants claimed to have beheaded three Egyptians, accusing them of being informants for Israeli intelligence services.  And in August, the group claimed the beheading of four other civilians for the same reason.

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