Three Egyptian soldiers died in an attack in the Sinai Penninsula monday morning that was later claimed by Daesh, security and medical officers told the AFP.
An early morning blast hit just on the Egytian side of the border which divides the city of Rafa between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, according to officials, who said two soldiers and an officer were killed and another injured after an IED tore through their armoured vehicle in the Tawil al-Amir district.
Hours later, a Daesh-affiliated group formerly known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The group has carried out several attacks on Egyptian security personnel operating in the restive Sinai and pledged allegiance to Daesh several months ago.
The group also claimed responsibility for two attack carried out in the same area earlier this month, including a set of twin explosions on April 12 that killed at least 14 people, 11 of which were security personnel, and another on April 2 that left 15 soldiers and two civilians dead in a series of explosions on checkpoints.
The group has claimed attacks against Egyptian security personnel are in retaliation of the deadly crackdown by the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power after the 2013 ousting of Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi. Since then, thousands of Brotherhood affiliates and other dissidents have been imprisoned, sentenced to death or killed by security forces during clashes.
Morsi's first trial will begin Tuesday over charges of inciting the killing of protesters, for which he could face the death penalty.
