国际英语新闻:Death toll rises to 20 in Egypt's Sinai attacks

CAIRO, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Thursday's mortar attacks that targeted security premises in Egypt's North Sinai province rose to 20, the Egyptian state TV reported.

"At least 20 were killed and 36 others were injured in the anti-security attacks in Arish city," the state TV quoted a Health Ministry official in North Sinai as saying, noting the casualties included security men and civilians.

A source in North Sinai province told the state TV earlier that ten mortar shells and a car-bomb targeted North Sinai Security Department headquarters and Army Detachment 101, noting the attacks ruined a large part of the department.

Meanwhile, a security source in North Sinai told Xinhua that the attacks targeted other security premises in Arish city including the security department headquarters, a police station, officers resthouses and a military hotel.

"In nearby Rafah city, most security points were also attacked including the large Haq al-Hosan military checkpoint," the source added.

Egypt has recently extended a curfew in many parts of North Sinai for another three months due to the unstable security conditions in the area and the recurrent terrorist attacks targeting security men and premises.

The anti-security attacks mounted in Sinai and other parts across the country since the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi by the military in July 2013 and the following crackdown on his supporters that left about 1,000 killed and thousands more arrested.

The attacks targeting security forces have left hundreds killed. Most of the attacks were claimed by Sinai-based al-Qaida-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group affiliated with the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria.

Since Morsi's removal, his loyalists have been staging anti-government protests denouncing Morsi's ouster as "a coup."

The Muslim Brotherhood group, Morsi's power base, was blacklisted by the new leadership as "a terrorist organization."