Militants attack Egyptian army checkpoints in Sinai, kill 64

EL-ARISH, Egypt — Dozens of Islamic militants unleashed a wave of simultaneous attacks, including suicide car bombings, on Egyptian army checkpoints in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday, killing at least 64 soldiers, security and military officials said.

The advanced planning and coordinated execution of the attacks show that the long-running insurgency in the area is growing stronger, posing a serious threat to Egypt’s security as the military-backed government struggles to restore stability after years of unrest since the 2011 uprising.

On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said nine people killed in a raid on a Cairo apartment were fugitive Muslim Brotherhood leaders who had been meeting to plan terrorist plots.

An Islamic State affiliate claimed Wednesday’s attacks, saying its fighters targeted a total of 15 army and police positions and staged three suicide bombings, two that targeted checkpoints and one that hit an officers’ club in the nearby city of el-Arish.