Update at 2:30pm:
(CNN) – The Egyptian military kicked off a hunt for the attackers of a Sufi mosque in the northern Sinai, a military source said, combing the area of Friday’s assault that
killed at least 235 people — thought to be the deadliest terror attack on the country’s soil.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi vowed to respond to the attack on al Rawdah mosque with “brute force.” Some 109 others were injured, Egyptian state media reported.
No one has claimed responsibility, but the strike bears the hallmarks of an attack by ISIS.
The mosque is known as the birthplace of an important Sufi cleric. Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam that some ultra-orthodox Muslims consider heretical.
Original Story:
(CNN) — At least 185 people were killed and another 120 injured in an attack on a mosque in Egypt’s North Sinai region on Friday, Egyptian state-owned news outlets Nile TV and Masriya TV reported.
After an explosion, gunmen who were waiting outside the mosque opened fire at worshipers as they fled Friday prayers, Ahram Online said.
The attack targeted Al Rawdah mosque in Bir Al-Abed, in the west of Arish province, Egyptian state-owned news agency MENA said.
The blast caused considerable damage to the mosque, Ahram Online said.
Speaking to Masriya TV station, Egyptian health ministry spokesman Khalid Mujahid described the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi is meeting with a security committee to discuss repercussions of the attack, Masriya TV reported. The presidency has declared three days of national mourning.
Egyptian security forces have been battling militants in northern Sinai for several years. ISIS militants have in the past claimed responsibility for attacks in the area.
The-CNN-Wire
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