Greece condemns terrorist attack in Sinai, Egypt

Greece has condemned a terrorist attack in on the Sinai peninsula, Egypt, at water-lifting station east of the Suez Canal that saw at least 11 members of the Egyptian military killed.

The Sinai peninsula is home to St Catherine’s Greek Orthodox monastery, founded in the 6th century and located at the foot of Mount Sinai, and one of  the oldest Greek Orthodox Christian monasteries in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site.

"We unequivocally condemn the terrorist attack targeting a water plant in Sinai, which resulted into the deaths of members of the Egyptian military. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We express our solidarity and stand firmly with our close friends the government and the people of Egypt" the Greek Foreign Ministry posted on Twitter on Sunday.

According to Al Jazeera, five security personnel were also injured in the attack. “The terrorist elements are being chased and besieged in one of the isolated areas in Sinai,” the spokesman added in a statement on Saturday.

On Facebook, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi mourned the death of the troops and vowed  to continue fighting the rebels and “uprooting terrorism.”

The military gave no further details or the attack’s precise location, but two northern Sinai residents told Associated Press the attack took place in the town of Qantara in the province of Ismailia, which stretches eastwards from the Suez Canal.

Meanwhile the US State Department has also released a statement condemning the attack:

"The United States condemns today’s terrorist attack in the Sinai targeting members of the Egyptian military.  For decades, the United States has been and remains Egypt’s strong partner in confronting terrorism in the region.  We wish to express our profound condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in this heinous attack."