Spokesman for the Egyptian army Ahmed Ali said Sunday that the armed forces is not giving information on its crackdown on jihadists in Sinai in order to preserve the secrecy of the operation.
“Egypt’s armed forces affirms that its working in silence, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, to chase terrorist groups and to destroy criminal spots in North Sinai,” said Ali in response to questions over current operations taking place in the restive peninsula.
On Saturday, Egypt’s Constitution Party issued a statement expressing its concern at the situation in Sinai, urging the military to explain the situation to the media and the Egyptian people with more “openness and transparency.”
The party’s statement followed unconfirmed leaks of Israeli-Egyptian coordination during an attack against jihadists in Sinai Friday.
A loud explosion from the area of Ajraa in Egypt's North Sinai was heard at 4:15pm Friday by residents of south Rafah. Egypt's official MENA news agency reported that the explosion destroyed a rocket launcher set up near the border to launch attacks on Israel.
Saturday's offensive killed 15, Reuters' Aswat Masriya website stated. An army statement Sunday put the number of "dead or injured" at 25.
Ali vehemently denied claims of coordination with Israeli forces, asking the media verify information before publishing, especially on issues of national security.
Sinai has suffered a security vacuum since the January 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime. The situation escalated with the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood-backed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi 3 July. Militants have attacked police and security forces on a daily basis following Morsi's overthrow.
