Egypt: 7 Killed by Car Bomb in North Sinai

Local Editor

Seven civilians, including two children, were killed when a car bomb exploded near a military checkpoint in North Sinai, the Egyptian army said Monday.

The explosion happened 200 meters from its military target, "when an Egyptian soldier used a tank to stop the vehicle," according to the army statement.

The victims - three men, two women and two children -- "happened to be in the area in front of the ambush during the blast," the statement added, without saying when the incident happened.

"The explosion was large, carrying about 100 kilograms of high explosives," an army spokesman said in the statement.

Egypt's military is battling a local affiliate of Daesh [Arabic Acronym for the terrorist "ISIS"/"ISIL"] group that has waged a deadly insurgency in the northern Sinai, killings hundreds of members of the security forces.

The terrorists have threatened to carry out attacks on Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 90 million people.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team