Security tightened in North Sinai

Security forces in Egypt's North Sinai governate increased safety measures on the international road between the towns of Arish and Rafah, authorities said. Bulletproof housing was sent to the area to protect security personnel from gunfire after harsh sentences for 18 people convicted of attacking an Arish police station in 2011 led to repeated attacks in the area. Fourteen of the defendants were sentenced to death and four to 25 years of hard labor, the Cairo newspaper al-Masry al-Youm reported Friday. Armed forces in Rafah began building walls around permanent checkpoints, including one where 16 soldiers were killed by gunmen in August, the newspaper said.