Special to WorldTribune.com

Officials say at least 20 Egyptian security personnel were killed in a series of coordinated attacks in North Sinai on July 1 carried out by the Egypt affiliate of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).

The group known as Sinai Province claimed responsibility for the attacks on multiple military checkpoints in and around the town of Sheikh Zuweid near Egypt’s borders with the Gaza Strip and Israel.

The July 1 attack came only days after Egypt’s top public prosecutor was assassinated in a car bomb attack in Cairo.

Egyptian President Abdul Fatah Sisi blamed the violence on those “issuing orders from behind bars,” and added “if there is a death sentence, it will be carried out.”

ISIL claimed to have taken control of several parts of Sheikh Zuweid, releasing a statement that read: “We have total control of many sites, and have seized what was in them.”

Israel shut down its North Sinai border crossings at Niztana and Kerem Shalom following the attacks.

Osama el-Sayed, a doctor at El-Arish General Hospital, said 30 bodies had been brought in, “some of whom were wearing army fatigues.”

Egyptian security sources said at least 20 security personnel were killed and 40 wounded. An army official said 22 terrorists were killed.

Witnesses reported bomb blasts in both Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah while security sources said the terrorists planted bombs along a road between Sheikh Zuweid and an army camp to prevent the movement of any army supplies or reinforcements. The security sources reported that Apache helicopters and F-16 planes strafed the area.

It was also reported that the ISIL-affiliated militants took some soldiers captive and seized several armored vehicles.

  Coordinated attacks kill at least 20 Egyptian soldiers in Sinai near Gaza, Israel, North Sinai, Sheikh Zuweid, Sinai Province militants, WorldTribune.com