Six civilians killed in ambush in Sinai, Egypt

Unknown armed men on Wednesday killed sixcivilians in an ambush in Egypt's restive Sinai region, witnessesreported.The ambush was mounted on a road, west of al-Arish, the capital cityof North Sinai province, they told dpa.The attackers killed the six and seized three others before they fledinto the desert, the witnesses added. A source at a local hospital said the six dead people had beentransferred to the hospital with their bodies decapitated. "We have not identified them," the source added, declining to givehis name.Police forces were sent to the site of the attack and officers sealedoff the major roads in Sinai, according to a security source.Government planes were seen flying overhead searching for theperpetrators, locals said.So far, there has been no claim of responsibility for the reportedattack.North Sinai is a hotbed for radical Islamists, who have claimed aseries of deadly attacks on security forces in the largely desertregionEgypt has battled an insurgency in North Sinai since the 2011uprising, which toppled long-time autocrat Hosny Mubarak.Extremist attacks intensified after the army deposed thedemocratically elected but divisive Islamist president MohammedMorsi in 2013.Most attacks in the region have been claimed by an Islamic Stateaffiliate.