Egypt: Isis claims responsibility for Sinai hotel bombing

The Egyptian branch of Islamic State (Isis) has claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed four people in a hotel in the North Sinai capital al-Arish on 24 November, where judges overseeing a parliamentary election were staying. The statement by the Sinai Province group was circulated by its supporters on Twitter and the encrypted messaging system Telegram.

"A brother... seeking martyrdom hit with his car bomb the security force protecting the Swiss [Inn] hotel where 50 judges were staying only to be followed by a lion... who broke into the judges' base with his automatic weapon... then blew up his explosive belt among them," the statement said.

A militant tried to drive a car bomb into the hotel before security forces opened fire on him, causing the car to explode, the military said. A suicide bomber got inside the kitchen and blew himself up while a gunman got into a room before firing randomly and killing a judge, they said. Twelve people were wounded in the attack.

Two policemen were killed and the military said a civilian was among the dead. It said three militants were killed. The attack came a day after the second round of Egypt's parliamentary election, on 23 November. Sinai Province, the Egypt affiliate of IS, has carried out similar attacks in the region as part of its bid to topple the Cairo government.