CAIRO — Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula warned the Egyptian military on Wednesday against cracking down on them and claimed they were not behind a sneak attack earlier this month that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers. In a statement posted on a website which usually carries statement of Al-Qaida and similar groups, the militants said their main focus is Israel and that they do not target Egyptians soldiers. There was no way to independently verify it. “Prevent bloodshed, blood which has been spilled and which will be spilled if this aggression continues. You are dragging us to a battle that is not ours,” the statement read. “Our weapon is not directed at you,” it continued, adding: “We don't want to turn our rage against you ... have mercy on the soldiers you are using as fuel in the battle.” Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, stormed on August 5 a security checkpoint near the border between Gaza and Israel and killed 16 soldiers while they were breaking their fast for the holy month of Ramadan. The attackers then commandeered an armored vehicle and stormed across the border into Israel, where an Israeli airstrike knocked out the vehicle and killed at least six militants. The attacks prompted the military to launch an offensive in the increasingly volatile peninsula. Most operations there however remain limited and objectives are unclear. However, for the first time since Egypt signed a peace deal with Israel, military helicopters, tanks and troops have been deployed there — a move which before had not been allowed under the deal. It is not clear who issued Wednesday's statement. It is signed by “the Jihadist Salafis of Sinai” which could refer to several small Jihadist groups that are active in the area. – AP
