Egypt capture Islamic State defector disguised as a woman

As the US expressed its fears about the increasing Islamic State group presence in the Sinai, Egyptian troops celebrated one small victory over the militants

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

08 April, 2016

Unveiled: Soldiers pose with the fighter who was captured on his way to Cairo [Twitter]

Egyptian soldiers in Al-Arish, north Sinai province, have captured an Islamic State group fighter as he attempted to escape - dressed in a woman's burqa.

An image has emerged on Twitter showing the captured burqa-clad militant, surrounded by grinning soldiers.

It is thought the man was trying to defect from Egypt's IS franchise and was captured on his way to the capital, Cairo.

This news surfaced on the day the Obama administation announced it may withdraw its troops from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where some 700 soldiers are posted.

Since Egypt's military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, militant attacks against the Egyptian army and police have persisted despite an army campaign against them.

The local IS franchise claimed responsibility last month for the deaths of 15 police officers killed in an attack on a police checkpoint near Al-Arish, North Sinai's provincial capital.

IS also claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian airliner in October that killed all 224 people on board, minutes after it took off from a South Sinai beach resort.