The suspects arrested Thursday night were on their way to carry out an attack on civilians or soldiers in a town near the border, security officials told Army Radio, adding that the suspects may also have planned to take hostages. They carried three hand grenades, a knife and a screwdriver.
Also on Thursday, at least 27 people were killed in Egypt’s Sinai desert in four attacks carried out with car bombs. One bomb exploded outside a restaurant in the city of Al-Arish frequented by police officers and soldiers.
The Sinai Province — the name adopted by the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis Sunni jihadist group since swearing allegiance to the larger Islamist State group — claimed responsibility for the attacks.
