Armed group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said Israeli drones were behind the attack The Egyptian military has confirmed that Friday\'s air raid on targets in the Sinai region that killed five militants was carried out by one of its aircraft , as witnesses reported hearing several new explosions in Rafah .?
The armed group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis had earlier said Israeli drones were behind the attack. It further accused the Egyptian army of co-ordinating the attack with the Israelis.
Colonel Ahmed Aly, the military spokesman, said in a written statement that the military \"surveilled and dealt with a group of terrorists\" involved in past attacks in the peninsula.
Aly initially said on his official Facebook page that security forces were investigating two explosions in el-Agra. He later issued a statement denying \"in form and substance any attacks from the Israeli side inside Egyptian territories\" and saying the claim of cooperation was \"baseless.
A funeral was held for the fighters on Saturday, with the bodies of the five driven through several border towns in Sinai.
\"Our heroes became martyrs during their jihadi duties against the Jews in a rocket attack on occupied lands,\" Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis said on its website.
Hours later, Egyptian military helicopters targeted fighters in a fresh assault by the village of Touma in north Sinai, according to witnesses.
Eyewitnesses told Arab Today that they several explosions had been heard, after military Apache helicopters were seen flying over the area.
Egypt\'s military and security forces have long been engaged in a battle against Islamic militants in the northern half of the peninsula. Militants and tribesmen also have been engaged in smuggling and other criminal activity in the area for years.