At least 155 people were killed and another 120 injured in an attack on a mosque in Egypt’s North Sinai region on Friday, Egyptian state-owned news outlets Nile TV and Masriya TV reported.
After an explosion, gunmen who were waiting outside the mosque opened fire at worshipers as they fled Friday prayers, Ahram Online said.
The attack targeted Al Rawdah mosque in Bir Al-Abed, in the west of Arish province, Egyptian state-owned news agency MENA said.
The blast caused considerable damage to the mosque, Ahram Online said.
Speaking to Masriya TV station, Egyptian health ministry spokesman Khalid Mujahid described the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi is meeting with a security committee to discuss repercussions of the attack, Masriya TV reported. The presidency has declared three days of national mourning.
Egyptian security forces have been battling militants in northern Sinai for several years. ISIS militants have in the past claimed responsibility for attacks in the area.
This is a developing story.
