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Trump condemns attack

President Donald Trump is denouncing what he's calling the "Horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenceless worshippers in Egypt."

Militants attacked a crowded mosque during Friday prayers in the Sinai Peninsula, setting off explosives, spraying worshippers with gunfire and killing at least 200 people in the deadliest ever attack on Egyptian civilians by Islamic extremists.

Trump says on Twitter that: "The world cannot tolerate terrorism" and that "we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence!"

Trump's tweet came as he was playing golf at one of his Florida courses with Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson.

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4:50 p.m.

Egyptian state news agency MENA reports that 200 people have been killed in a bombing and shooting attack on a mosque in the volatile northern Sinai Peninsula, in what appeared to be the latest attack by the area's local Islamic State affiliate.

Citing official sources, MENA said 130 people were also wounded in the attack on the al-Rawdah mosque, largely attended by Sufi Muslims, in the town of Bir al-Abd, 40 km (25 miles) from the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish.

Officials said militants in four off-road vehicles bombed the mosque and fired on worshippers during the sermon segment of Friday prayers.

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4:15 p.m.

Israel is sending condolences to Egypt after 184 people were killed in an attack apparently by a group affiliated with the Islamic State on a mosque in the Sinai Peninsula.

Naftali Bennett, Israel's education minister, said after the attack Friday that this "a time for international unity in the war on terror wherever it presents itself: Russia, Europe, the US, Israel and the Arab World — we have all been hurt by terror and must unite in our battle against it."

Egyptian officials said militants in four off-road vehicles bombed the mosque and fired on worshippers.

Egypt has been battling militants in the restive Sinai region, including the Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State.

Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979 and maintain close security co-operation.

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3:30 p.m.

Egyptian state news agency MENA reports that 184 people have been killed in a bombing and shooting attack on a mosque in the volatile northern Sinai Peninsula, in what appeared to be the latest attack by the area's local Islamic State affiliate.

Citing official sources, MENA said 125 people were also wounded in the attack on the al-Rawdah mosque, largely attended by Sufi Muslims, in the town of Bir al-Abd, 40 km (25 miles) from the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish.

Earlier, officials said militants in four off-road vehicles bombed the mosque and fired on worshippers during the sermon segment of Friday prayers.

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2:50 p.m.

Egyptian state news agency MENA reports that 85 people have been killed in a bombing and shooting attack on a Sufi mosque in the volatile northern Sinai Peninsula, in what appeared to be the latest attack by the area's local Islamic State affiliate.

Citing official sources, MENA said 80 people were also wounded in the attack on the al-Rawdah mosque in the town of Bir al-Abd, 40 km (25 miles) from the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish.

Earlier, officials said militants in four off-road vehicles bombed the mosque and fired on worshippers during the sermon segment of Friday prayers.

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2:30 p.m.

Egyptian state news agency MENA reports that 54 people have been killed in a bombing and shooting attack on a mosque in the volatile northern Sinai Peninsula, in what appeared to be the latest attack by the area's local Islamic State affiliate.

Citing official sources, MENA said 75 people were also wounded in the attack on the al-Rawdah mosque in the town of Bir al-Abd, 40 km (25 miles) from the North Sinai provincial capital of el-Arish.

Earlier, officials said militants in four off-road vehicles bombed the mosque and fired on worshippers during the sermon segment of Friday prayers.

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1:50 p.m.

Egyptian security officials say militants have attacked a mosque in the volatile Sinai Peninsula, leaving dozens of casualties.

The three police officers say the extremists attacked the al-Rawdah mosque in the town of Bir al-Abd, 40 km (25 miles) from the North Sinai provincial capital of el-Arish.

They say men in four off-road vehicles opened fire on worshipers during Friday prayers.

Victims are being transferred to local hospitals, they added, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters.



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