Militant clashes in Egypt leave scores of policemen dead

Bloomberg

At least 16 Egyptian policemen were killed in clashes with militants as the government struggles to main-
tain security while it undertakes economic measures aimed at creating jobs and boosting growth.
Another 13 police personnel were injured when a force raiding a militant hideout in the desert southwest of Giza was attacked with heavy weaponry, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday. One policeman is still missing and the clashes resulted in the death and injury of 15 militants, it said. Earlier reports, including from Saudi-owned Al Arabiya and local Egyptian news outlets, had put the death toll at over 50 police personnel.
The ministry said forces are still searching and sweeping the area after the hours-long clashes.
The attack highlights the challenges facing the government as it tries to promote investment and jump-start the economy after floating currency and securing a $12 billion International Monetary Fund loan last year. Past attacks, including the bombing of a Russian plane in 2015, have harmed Egypt’s tourism
industry, a vital sector earning foreign currency and
employing millions.
Egypt has been facing over a decade of insurgency that has intensified since
the army-led ouster of
president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013.
Militant activity has largely been concentrated in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula, where hundreds
of army and police personnel have died fighting an IS
allied group.
But attacks have occasionally reached mainland Egypt, with bombs targeting Coptic churches in Cairo and Alexandria as well as security officials and judges.