Militants rob bank, attack church in Egypt's Sinai; 7 dead
EL-ARISH - In a brazen attack, about a dozen Islamic militants robbed a local bank and traded fire with security forces guarding an unused church in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing seven people, including three civilians, officials said.
The attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades and traded gunfire with the guards outside the Church of Saint George in the center of el-Arish, security and military officials said. Services at the church were suspended months ago, following a wave of attacks on Christians in Sinai.
The militants then robbed a bank before fleeing in a pickup and a motorcycle to the southern outskirts of the city. "They looted the entire bank and left explosive devices inside," a senior security official said.
The clashes killed three civilians, including a child, three guards and one soldier and wounded another 15 people, including women and children, the officials said.
