Islamic State claims attack near Suez Canal
The Islamic State's attack on a water-pumping station near the Suez Canal could affect global trade.
CAIRO — On May 7, a group of militants attacked a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal, leaving one officer and 10 troops dead, while five others were injured in the clashes that subsequently erupted, according to Egyptian military spokesperson Gharib Abdel Hafez.
On May 8, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to discuss the attack, one of the deadliest against Egyptian forces in the Sinai in recent years. Sisi instructed the army to pursue the terrorists and continue combatting terrorism in all its forms.
On May 9, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the armed attack via Telegram.
Maher Farghali, a freelance researcher on terrorist groups, told Al-Monitor that the May 7 terrorist attack reveals qualitative changes in the militants’ strategy in Sinai.
