© Islamic State Group in Sinai, via AP, File
This photo posted on a file sharing website Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, by the Islamic State Group in Sinai, a militant organization, shows a deadly attack by militants on an Egyptian police checkpoint, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in el-Arish, north Sinai, Egypt. Arabic reads, "Clash with light arms with the remaining apostates left alive at the fire station checkpoint." Egypt's military says it has begun a major security operation in areas including the restive northern Sinai Peninsula, where Islamic militants are most active.
Egypt's military has destroyed dozens of targets, killed 16 militants and detained over 30 suspects as part of its latest operation against Islamic militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula, the army said on Sunday.
Spokesman Col. Tamer el-Rifai said that airstrikes hit vehicles, weapons caches, communications centers and illegal opium fields in the sweep, which began on Friday and comes as a response to a pickup in extremist violence in Egypt.
"The air force targeted and destroyed 66 targets used by terrorist elements to hide from air and artillery attacks," for shelter during raids by security forces, he said in a statement. With North Sinai closed off for non-residents and journalists, the army's casualty figures could not be independently confirmed. Telephone connections to the area, both mobile and landlines, are often shut down as well.
Comment: The petrodollar is pretty much a paper tiger. However, it is so massive that no other country has been able to offer an alternative...until now. The release of China's petroyaun will be a significant marker for the decline of the US Empire's influence. We can expect to see a lot more propaganda from the US against China in the coming times. The only problem is they're losing their media influence just as they're losing their image as the 'global policeman'. Their position as the global economic hegemon is next.