A special forces unit of the Egyptian Navy was reportedly ambushed by ISIS terrorists while on a mission in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula.
The UK-based New Arab said the unit was carrying out a mission near the coastal town of al-Dhibah on June 3 when it fell into an ambush set by ISIS cells. Several boats of the Egyptian Navy intervened to evacuate the unit. However, they were targeted by the terrorists who managed to damage one of them.
“Medical sources at the al-Arish Military Hospital confirmed to the New Arab that it recorded a number of deaths and injuries among land and naval forces during the early morning hours of Wednesday [June 3],” the outlet said in a report.
Egyptian sources said that two service members were killed and eleven others were injured in the ambush. Meanwhile, ISIS’ news agency Amaq claimed that an officer and two soldiers were killed.
One of the ambush’s casualties was identified as “Sergeant Ibrahim Ahmed El Shenawy” of the Egyptian Navy’s Special Forces.
The Egyptian Air Force responded to the ambush by carrying out a series of airstrikes on ISIS terrorists and hideouts around the town of al-Dhibah.
Egyptian government forces conduct anti-terrorism operations in Sinai on a regular basis. Last week, the army announced that 19 ISIS terrorists were eliminated in the region.
