Egyptian helicopters fired on a meeting of suspected militants in the country’s Sinai Peninsula, officials said Sunday, killing at least 12 people as authorities stepped up their attacks following an Israeli drone strike in the region.
The helicopter attack came as Egyptian and Israeli officials tried to downplay the drone strike Friday in the largely lawless Sinai, fearing popular criticism in a country already roiled by last month’s military coup that ousted President Mohammed Morsi.
The Egyptian officials said three helicopters targeted militants in the desert town of Sheik Zuweyid late Saturday. The officials said another dozen were wounded in the attack.
Military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali later confirmed the attack in a post on his official Facebook page. He said 25 militants were targeted, but did not offer a breakdown of casualties.
The suspected militants targeted in the air assault were wanted for an attack last year that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers, Ali said. They also were wanted in connection to the abduction of seven security forces earlier this year, he said.
A resident of Sheik Zuweyid said he saw the helicopter attack start Saturday night. On Sunday, he said neighbors saw two funerals for slain fighters, one with four bodies and one with two.
Egypt’s military and security forces have been engaged in a long battle against militants in the northern half of the peninsula. Militants and tribesmen have used the area for smuggling and other criminal activity for years. Militants have fired rockets into Israel and staged other cross-border attacks there on previous occasions.
Attacks against security personnel have intensified in the region following the popularly supported July 3 coup that ousted Morsi.
Egyptian security officials said Friday that a drone firing from the Israeli side of the border had killed five suspected militants preparing to fire rockets at Israel. The site of the strike was about three miles inside Egypt.
Israel has maintained official silence about the strike, likely out of concerns about exposing Egypt’s military to domestic public backlash. Egypt’s government celebrates its battles fought against Israel over Sinai. Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, but many still view the Jewish state with suspicion.
In a statement late Saturday night, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said his country “appreciated” unspecified actions taken by Egypt against militants over the weekend. However, Yaalon did not deny Israel launched a drone attack Friday targeting militants inside of Egypt.
“Israel respects the full sovereignty of Egypt,” Yaalon said. He said Israel is “aware of the Egyptian military’s increased activity against terror infrastructures in the Sinai Peninsula” and praised the Egyptian military for “fighting first and foremost to protect Egypt’s citizens and sovereignty.”
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