SINAI (AA) – An Egyptian soldier was shot dead in the central Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday, a security source said.
According to the source, unidentified gunmen shot the soldier in the head while he was manning a security checkpoint in central Sinai.
Security forces have reportedly launched a manhunt for the attackers.
Earlier Wednesday, gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at an army checkpoint near the Sheikh Zuweid Hospital.
Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has witnessed mounting violence against police and army personnel since the July 3 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the country's first freely-elected president, by the powerful military.
Within recent months, scores of policemen and soldiers have been killed in dozens of attacks by unidentified gunmen, especially in the peninsula's volatile northeastern quadrant.
The Egyptian army is currently carrying out what military experts are calling the largest military operation on the peninsula since Egypt's 1973 war with Israel with the stated aim of combating "militancy and terrorism."
By Ahmed Gamal – Anadolu Agency
englishnews@aa.com.tr
