WATCH: Jihadists in Sinai down Egyptian air force helicopter
Five Egyptian troops died in attack by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis in northern Sinai.
By YASSER OKBIJihadists in the Sinai Peninsula do battle with Egyptian forces.(photo credit: YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT)
Terrorists from the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis jihadist organization operating in the Sinai Peninsula released a video on Monday showing one of its operatives downing an Egyptian air force helicopter with a shoulder-fired missile in the Haruba district, not far from the border with the Gaza Strip.The video clip clearly shows the helicopter damaged and giving off smoke as it descends to the ground before finally exploding. Five Egyptian soldiers died in the attack.Egyptian authorities are increasingly concerned over the ability of terrorists to down their aircraft.The clip features an audio track of a Koranic verse titled "The hand of God is what struck." A voiceover belonging to "Abu Osama al-Masri" is then heard warning the Cairo regime of a similar fate that befell Syria, Libya, and deposed president Hosni Mubarak."Did the United States help [Mubarak]?" the speaker asks sarcastically."If you do not cease collaborating with the fighters of Muslims, we will stand against you and all of your planes won't help because we are the soldiers of God," the speaker says in the video.Ansar Beit al-Maqdis has taken credit for a series of attacks in Egypt last week which killed 12 people, particularly security personnel, and wounded dozens of others.
