Egypt army makes gains against Islamic State in western Sinai

Egyptian Army troops and tribal fighters are working to liberate the northwestern Sinai village of Gilbana from IS control as the terrorist group tries to move its command center there.
Mourners and soldiers carry the casket of Egyptian 1st Lt. Soleman Ali Soleman, one of 11 soldiers killed in an attack claimed by Wilayat Sinai, during his funeral at a mosque in the village of Jazirat al-Ahrar in Qalyoubiya province, Egypt, May 9, 2022.
Mourners and soldiers carry the casket of Egyptian 1st Lt. Soleman Ali Soleman, one of 11 soldiers killed in an attack claimed by Wilayat Sinai, during his funeral at a mosque in the village of Jazirat al-Ahrar in Qalyoubiya province, Egypt, May 9, 2022. - Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images
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A correspondent in Egypt

CAIRO — Fierce battles continue to rage between Egyptian army troops — aided by dozens of tribal fighters — and Islamic State-affiliated Wilayat Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula for control over a village close to the Suez Canal.

The battles started Aug. 10, soon after the IS militants overran Gilbana, a village close to the northwestern Sinai city of Bir al-Abd, which is part of the Suez Canal province of Ismailia.

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