Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) vowed to restore security in the country’s Sinai Peninsula as soon as possible after a deadly attack on a border crossing, the Nile TV channel reported on Monday.
At least 16 Egyptian servicemen were killed and seven injured when a group of gunmen attacked the Karem Abu Salem crossing near the Israeli border on Sunday evening. Ten attackers were killed.
SCAF said the crossing was attacked by about 35 gunmen, mostly militants who crossed into Egypt from the Gaza Strip. Their assault was “supported by artillery fire from Gaza.”
“The army, together with security forces, will restore security and return peace to the Sinai Peninsula as soon as possible, regardless of the difficulties it might face,” SCAF said in a statement.
“The armed forces will make every effort to adequately respond to the criminals who attacked the border post near Rafah,” the statement reads. “The army will meet such extremism with force.”
The Egyptian authorities had to close the road along the Mediterranean coast in the northern Sinai for tourist buses after the attack and deploy helicopter gunships in the area.
President Mohamed Morsi declared a three-day nationwide mourning starting from Monday.
