Egyptian sources said Monday night that Egyptian Army soldiers had eliminated Ibrahim Abu Atiyeh, a terrorist belonging to the Al Qaeda-linked Ansar Beit al-Makdis terror group. Abu Atiyeh was a leader of the group, which has claimed responsibility for a recent rocket attack on Eilat in August. Abu Atiyeh was killed in a shootout with Egyptian soldiers in northern Sinai.
The group has been at odds with Eypt’s new military government, and has attempted to kill Egyptian officials, including the country’s interior minister.
Three people suffered shock from the rocket attack on the city of Eilat that took place in the early hours of August 17. The Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted the rocket before it could do damage to the city, but sirens went off, waking residents from their slumber and frightening tourists at the height of the summer season.
A defiant Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said at the time that he considered the attack a one-off attack.
“Right now we do not see a concrete warnings” of further attacks, he said, adding that that terrorists based in the Sinai Peninsula may try to stir up trouble but that the Israel Defense Force is ready and prepared for any scenario.