This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On July 18, 2019, a devastating suicide bombing shook Egypt's North Sinai region, claiming the lives of at least two people, including a civilian and a member of the security forces.
The bombing occurred at a car park in the town of Sheikh Zuweid, near the border with the Gaza Strip, according to security and medical sources.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via its Amaq agency, stating that five members of the security forces were killed or injured.
Just a day prior, four headless bodies were discovered in an empty street in the North Sinai town of Bir al-Abd, sparking a major security operation.
The victims' families had reported that the four men, aged 23 to 51, had been kidnapped, leading to a thorough investigation by the security services.
Islamic State also claimed responsibility for the beheadings, stating that the four were spies for the Egyptian military.
The Egyptian military, which launched its campaign in Sinai after a jihadist attack in November 2017 on a mosque, says hundreds of militants have been killed in the campaign.
