Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, over the death of Egyptian police officers and military personnel in a terrorist attack in El-Arish.
TheNewsGuru reports that a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into an Egyptian security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai on yesterday morning, killing at least 10 people and wounding 22 others, according to Egyptian officials.
The attacker drove a white rubbish truck packed with explosives into the checkpoint before security forces shot dead the driver and safely detonated the bomb. The vehicle was stolen days earlier and had been modified with built in metal plates to enforce the truck.
The attack, on the Mediterranean coastal city of el-Arish, was followed by several small explosions as militants wearing black masks fired rocket-propelled grenades at troops guarding the checkpoint.
Medical and security officials have said the death toll is likely to rise.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the finger of blame will undoubtedly be pointed at Isis, which is known to be an active terrorist group in the area.
Isis has used reinforced trucks as weapons in Syria and Iraq.
“What happened proves yet again that the international community needs to consolidate its efforts in countering international terrorism,” Putin stressed in his message of condolence to his Egyptian counterpart.
The United Nations (UN) Security Council has condemned the attack as well while stressing that those responsible should be brought to justice.
“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack that took place in the northern Sinai city of Al-Arish, Egypt, today, 9 January 2017… Those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, the Council said in a press statement.
Meanwhile, President Putin reaffirmed that Russia is ready to further step up cooperation with its Egyptian partners in fighting this global threat.
Putin passed on words of sympathy and support to the victims’ families and friends and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.
