ISIL-affiliate sets Egypt navy vessel ablaze off Sinai - Al Jazeera English

17.7.15

ISIL-affiliate sets Egypt navy vessel ablaze off Sinai - Al Jazeera English: The patrol boat spotted the fighters from the Sinai Province group on the coast of Rafah on Thursday and engaged them, the military's spokesman said in a statement. The boat went up in flames during an ensuing firefight.

The military said it suffered no casualties, in the attack, which Sinai Province later claimed on Twitter.

A series of pictures released by the group, showed a missile approaching and striking the vessel causing a large explosion.

A witness in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, just across the border with the Egyptian town of Rafah, said the boat was struck at least three kilometres from the shore.

"We were sitting on the beach and suddenly there was an explosion," witness Ahmed Nofal told the AFP news agency. Other navy boats came to rescue the crew as their vessel spewed a plume of smoke.