10 Nov 2017 | 02:40 PM UTC
Egypt: Deadly attack on convoy in Sinai Peninsula November 9
IS-affiliated militants ambush convoy in central Sinai on November 9; ten dead
Event
Militants belonging to a group formerly known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis and affiliated to the Islamic State (IS) ambushed a convoy late Thursday, November 9, that was headed to a factory run by the military near the town of Nakhl, in the central Sinai region. According to security officials, eight soldiers and two civilians were killed in the attack, after which militants stole weapons and set fire to seven trucks.
Context
Egypt is currently under a state of emergency, originally declared following IS attacks on churches in Alexandria and Tanta, which killed 44 people on Palm Sunday in April 2017. The Sinai Peninsula has been a target of various attacks by IS-affiliated militants since 2013. The ousting of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi prompted an Islamist insurgency by an IS local branch, Islamic State-Sinai Province (IS-SP), in the region, where hundreds of soldiers and police have since been killed.
Recently, a number of attacks have been carried out against police forces. On October 20, at least 16 policemen were killed in attacks some 135 km (84 mi) southwest of Cairo. According to current President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, the risk of terrorism has increased in the country as IS’s major territorial losses in Iraq and Syria have caused many of its militants to come to Egypt, prompting the former general to invest over USD 10 billion in its military since 2014.
Advice
Due to the prevailing threat of terrorism, individuals throughout Egypt should report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and always be on guard when visiting sites deemed particularly vulnerable to an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.). Some governments advise their nationals against all travel to the Sinai Peninsula due to the persistent terrorist threat.
