The northern part of Sinai Peninsula is now under a three-month state of emergency following two suicide attacks on Friday. In a meeting with the National Defense Council yesterday, the Egyptian government tagged the incident as a "terrorist attack".

Thirty-three people were killed, majority of them national security guards, in what is considered as one of the worst violence in Egypt since former president Mohamed Mursi left office last year.

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The first attack that occurred in the al- Kharouba region, northwest of al-Arish, incurred 30 fatalities, several of which are members of Second Field Army stationed in Ismailia, local militia said.

The target was two armored cars parked near an army camp injuring at least 25 people.  Security forces issued two conflicting statements on the cause of the high death toll, saying that the vehicles might be full of high-grade weapons and explosives.  Another official said a flying rocket propeller was used to accomplish the attack.

Consequently, a gunman fired on a checkpoint in al-Arish that killed three more soldiers.  None of Egypt's militant groups, even the most active Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, claimed responsibility to the attack.

Casualties were transported by military helicopters for treatment in the capital city, Middle East News Agency reported.  Residents reported loss of communication signal shortly after the second attack.

This is the first assault on Egyptian soil 16 months after the military ousted Mursi from position.  Since then, Egypt focused on improving its economy and military with a US$1.3 billion annual financial aid from Washington.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said insurgents against the Cairo government could have initiated the attack.

Prior to the event, the military said it was "conducting a large-scale combing operation" in Sheikh Zuwaid and Rafah, known to be insurgent hideouts but provided no further details.

TagsSinai Peninsula attack, Egypt, terrorist attack in Egypt