IS-linked Egypt militants behead four people in Sinai

Egyptian security officials said on Wednesday that militants have beheaded four people in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula.

Gunmen attacked a group of people in the small town of Bir al-Abd on Wednesday, beheading four and kidnapping a fifth after accusing them of cooperating with security forces.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.

Egypt is battling an Islamic State group-led insurgency in Sinai that intensified after the military overthrew an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013.

The IS-linked militants have carried out scores of attacks, in Egypt mainly targeting the security forces and minority Christians.

In late 2017, North Sinai was the scene of the deadliest attack in Egypt's modern history when militants killed more than 300 worshippers at a mosque, without any group claiming responsibility.

Security forces have likewise targeted Sinai residents arresting thousands and forcibly "disappearing" dozens, according to a HRW report.

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