Egyptian Navy Attacked By Terrorists, Sailors Missing

Just days after an Egyptian jihadist group pledged allegiance to ISIS, the Egyptian navy was attacked, leaving five seriously injured and eight missing.

ISIS is a Sunni jihadist group in the Middle East that has proclaimed itself as a caliphate. ISIS claims religious authority over Muslims all over the world, and strives to bring most of the Muslim world under its political control. It has been prominent in the news for attempting these actions in Iraq and Syria.

This is not the first time ISIS has been in the news recently. According to an earlier report from the Inquisitr, the Middle East is making fun of ISIS by creating new satire.

The Egyptian Navy was performing a combat exercise in the Mediterranean, 40 nautical miles north of Damietta port, when a number of boats attacked it on Wednesday.

The Egyptian military confirmed the Egyptian Navy attack was a “terrorist” attack that took place on Wednesday morning off the coast of the Damietta province in the country’s north east. The military said it destroyed “four boats used by the armed assailants, including terrorists, and arrested 32 people.” The 32 people who were detained are currently being questioned.

“Search and rescue operations have evacuated five wounded servicemen to a military hospital… and there are still eight personnel lost and the search continues,” it said in the statement.

Another source told AFP the terrorists responsible for the Egyptian Navy attack used “fishing boats” and did not appear to have deployed rocket propelled grenades or heavier weapons.

It appears that the Egyptian jihadist group began launching attacks after its alliance with ISIS, giving it more resources and power. The is the first recorded Egyptian Navy attack since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last year.

The Egyptian army has been combating a decade-long jihadist group in Sinai, with attacks increasing over the past year and expanding into Cairo and the Nile Delta. The most recent attack targeted the Egyptian Navy. Hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed, while the army says it has killed and arrested hundreds of insurgents. Sometimes, innocent civilians have been killed in the crossfire.

There have been many efforts to find the eight missing people from the Egyptian Navy attack. None have been found yet.

[Image via EPA]