Egyptian navy ship in flames after IS group ‘rocket attack’

AN EGYPTIAN naval boat has reportedly been destroyed by a rocket launched by a group linked to Islamic State (IS) in events that saw the extremists taking their terror campaign out to sea.
The coastguard vessel reportedly spotted the group of militants on the shore near the Sinai region town of Rafah, and after the ensuing firefight, pictures show the Egyptian ship engulfed in flames.
There are conflicting accounts of what happened from each side. The IS affiliated Sinai Province militants claim they fired a ship-to-shore rocket, and the images of a huge fire seem to suggest there would have been significant casualties.
However, the Egyptian state insists the fire was started on board following an exchange of fire, and that there were no casualties.
Sinai lies in the north east corner of Egypt, sharing a border with the Gaza Strip, and is an area which is popular with tourists, particularly people on diving holidays. It’s also an important area for shipping.
Clashes in Sinai between the militants and Egyptian government forces have seen several hundred people killed in recent years.