EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) —Egyptian state news agency MENA reports that 155 people have been killed in a bombing and shooting attack on a Sufi mosque in the volatile northern Sinai Peninsula, in what appeared to be the latest attack by the area’s local Islamic State affiliate.
Citing official sources, MENA said 120 people were also wounded in the attack on the al-Rawdah mosque in the town of Bir al-Abd, 40 km (25 miles) from the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish.
Earlier, officials said militants in four off-road vehicles bombed the mosque and fired on worshippers during the sermon segment of Friday prayers.
Three police officers said the extremists attacked the al-Rawdah mosque in the town of Bir al-Abd, 40 km (25 miles) from the North Sinai provincial capital of el-Arish.
Victims were being transferred to local hospitals, they added, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to brief reporters.
Ministry of Health spokesman Khaled Mujahid said the militants set off a bomb during the attack, and that 75 casualties had been transferred to hospital. His comments were published on the website of state-run newspaper al-Ahram.