St. Catherine’s Monastery Photo: Berthold Werner Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group claimed responsibility for the shooting attack on a highway checkpoint near the famous St. Catherine’s Monastery, in which at least one police officer was killed and three others were wounded.The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack through a statement released by the Amaq agency, linked to the jihadists.The Police stated that a group of armed men fired from the top of a mountain at the security post.After the attack, a shootout broke out between the members of the checkpoint and the assailants, who ended up fleeing, according to the security forces.A security source explained that the assault was carried out by two gunmen on a motorcycle.The town of Santa Catalina is located in a mountainous area in the south of the Sinai Peninsula that is home to the famous monastery of the same name, which attracts numerous Christian faithful because it is where tradition places the area where Moses received the tablets of the law.Attacks against Egyptian Police and Army checkpoints are frequent in the North Sinai province and have multiplied since the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.Several jihadist groups operate in the region, among which Wilayat Sina stands out, which swore allegiance to the Islamic State and which has claimed responsibility for the most serious attacks carried out in the area.Egypt declared a state of emergency throughout the country following the attacks on the Coptic churches of Tanta and Alexandria, which caused the death of at least 46 people and injured another 100.In the province of North Sinai, where Wilayat Sina is based, a state of emergency has been in effect since 2014 and the Government has declared it a military exclusion zone, imposed a curfew and closed access to the media. communication. EFEPost navigation
