Sinai clashes enter second day as Egypt clamps down on Islamist militants

Egyptian forces fight gunmen at a police station in northern Sinai town of al-Arish

Egyptian police have fought gunmen in the main northern Sinai town of al-Arish a day after security forces began a crackdown on Islamist militants in the region.

“Clashes resumed between armed men and police forces in front of police station number two in al-Arish,” Nile News television reported.

It did not identify the gunmen. No further details were available and security officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

A Reuters correspondent in al-Arish said the town was now calm after the reported clashes.

The army’s security sweep follows an attack on Sunday in which gunmen killed 16 Egyptian border guards before storming through an Israeli border crossing.

Israel said it was a wake-up call for Egypt to take a firmer grip on a region threatened by growing lawlessness.

Egyptian aircraft struck suspected militant targets near the border and troops raided villages on Wednesday.

The Egyptian army brought extra troops, tanks and other armoured vehicles into al-Arish on Thursday to expand the security operation, a security source said.

Pictured: Palestinian youths light candles in the West Bank city of Ramallah in memory of the 16 Egyptian soldiers killed in Sunday’s ambush of their checkpoint on the Sinai peninsula. Photograph: Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images