by WorldTribune Staff, May 3, 2018
The Egyptian military is deploying troops to its borders with Israel and the Gaza Strip in preparation for what was described as “extraordinarily massive attacks” on the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula, reports say.
Egypt has informed Israel about the troop buildup, Haaretz reported on May 2.
Residents of southern Israel were notified by their local councils that the Egyptian military is planning to carry out attacks near the Egyptian-Israeli-Gazan border and that loud explosions would be heard from across the border, The Times of Israel reported.
Egyptian tanks were also spotted near the Gaza border.
Egypt has been increasing operations against the ISIS offshoot Wilayat Sinai in recent months as ISIS jihadists continue to flee Syria and Iraq.
Last week, Hamas deployed several hundred fighters along the Gaza-Sinai border to fight the Sinai-based jihadists and prevent them from making incursions into the Palestinian territory, Sputnik News reported.
Wilayat Sinai “has previously stolen Egyptian military equipment including armored vehicles and anti-tank missiles, plotted attacks against Egyptian forces, military outposts and planted roadside bombs in the area,” the Sputnik report said.
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