Egyptian helicopters have bombarded several villages in the northern Sinai Peninsula region, witnesses reported, after a rise in attacks against soldiers in the unstable and often violent region.
Residents told Al Jazeera that the assault was launched on the villages of al-Tuma al-Mukataa and al-Mahdiya. The army this week vowed to stamp out armed groups operating in the region.
No casualties were been reported in Friday night’s shelling.
On Saturday, Egyptian security officials said a roadside bomb had struck an army vehicle, also on Friday, injuring seven soldiers. Armed groups have been battling security forces in the Sinai Peninsula for a decade
The blast near the city of el-Arish, near the Gaza border, came a week after an attack in the same area killed 31 soldiers.
It was the deadliest attack targeting security forces since the army toppled former president, Mohamed Morsi, in July.
