Egypt launches Sinai air strikes

military officials say helicopters fired missiles and killed 20 "terrorists" after the recent attacks on security checkpoints

Egyptian military attack helicopters fired missiles at suspected Islamist militants in the Sinai after the attacks on security checkpoints, according to residents and officials. A military source said 20 "terrorists" were killed in the assault.

security officials say this is the first time that the army fired missiles in the Sinai since the 1973 war with Israel to return the Sinai Peninsula.

Egyptian forces launched a missile attack two hours after three security checkpoints were attacked by suspected Islamist militants in the north of the main town of El-Arish Sinai, about 30 kilometers from the border between Gaza and Israel.

Authorities say six people were injured in the attacks at checkpoints, including an army officer, two soldiers, two policemen and a civilian whose condition was described as critical .

Israel welcomed the Egyptian military action. "What we are seeing in Egypt is a strong anger, determination of the regime and the military to take care of him and bring order in Sinai, because it is their responsibility," said the dean of defense official Amos Gilad told Israel Radio.

"It is an action that is in the hands of Egyptian Egypt based on the information they have. Otherwise, remove and dispose of [the threat], continue to strike. "

Shmuel Zakai Brigadier General, a former commander of the Gaza Division, stated that the determination of Egypt was incredible. "This is an unprecedented number of Egyptian," said the Israeli army radio. "In fact, the Egyptians during the Yom Kippur War deployed forces in Sinai this size. Certainly not going to be short and it will not be easy. Talking about terrorist infrastructure that has been established in the region with the support of the population and with weapons. "

• military action followed by an attack on Sunday which killed 16 militants Egyptian border guards before violating the border and enter Israel within about 2 km. After the armored vehicle seized by militants was destroyed by an Israeli missile attack, the bodies of militants were found wearing explosive belts.
• Egypt, which claimed Palestinian militants in Gaza have been partly responsible for the attack, closed the Rafah border "until further notice", leaving the Gaza Strip in large part isolated from the outside world. He also began to seal the tunnels under the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, which have been used in the past five years for consumer goods, smuggling, building materials and weapons.

Hamas, which condemned Sunday's attack, was also closed at the end of the Gaza tunnels. Long queues began to form in the gas stations in the Gaza Strip. The vast majority of the fuel used by the inhabitants of Gaza to get cars and generators and costs about half the price of fuel imported legally in Israel.

Hamas wants to stand out from the attack and also to cooperate with the Egyptian government. Hamas has close ties with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Morsi, whose candidate was elected president in June Morsi said he intends to take action to help the people of Gaza and isolation.

The 16 border guards killed in Sunday's attack were buried Tuesday in Cairo amid scenes of anger. Morsi not attend the funeral after reports that we offer it can become the object of the anger of the victims' families.

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