ISIS claims responsibility of Sinai attacks that killed 35

In a dramatic demonstration of its expanding reach, ISIS apparently launched simultaneous attacks Wednesday on five Egyptian military checkpoints, killing 35 people, including 20 Egyptian soldiers, and injuring 30 others. At last report, clashes on the Sinai Peninsula were continuing. A spokesman for the Egyptian military said 22 terrorists had been killed. ISIS — the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria — was known until not long ago exclusively for its activities in those two countries. But it has claimed responsibility in the last week for a drumbeat of attacks in a range of countries: the deadly bombing of a mosque in Kuwait last Friday, the horrific beachfront killings in Tunisia the same day, and now five coordinated military attacks in Egypt.
A Deadly Claim On Twitter
ISIS claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attacks in statements posted on Twitter.
The toll of those attacks — 35, including 20 soldiers, killed and 30 others injured — was reported by Egyptian media, including the state-run Al-Ahram online media outlet. A spokesman for the Egyptian military, Mohammed Samir Abdelaziz Ghaneem, said: “70 terrorists attacked 5 checkpoints simultaneously in North Sinai.” The Sinai borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and Israel to the east. It is the only part of Egypt that lies in Asia rather than Africa, according to agencies.