Egypt: 71 militants killed in military operations Feb. 9-22 /update 5

Event

The Egyptian army announced on Thursday, February 22, that a total of seven soldiers and 71 militants had been killed since the launch of security operations in the Sinai Peninsula, the Nile Delta, and the Western Desert on February 9. Furthermore, five suspected terrorists and at least 1800 suspected criminals have been arrested.

The operation is still ongoing in the abovementioned areas; additional security force raids on suspected militant positions are likely in the coming days.

Context

Egypt remains under a state of emergency, originally declared following IS attacks on churches in Alexandria and Tanta that killed some 50 people on Palm Sunday in April 2017.

The Sinai Peninsula has been the epicenter of frequent attacks by Islamic State (IS)-affiliated militants since 2013 - usually targeting security forces or minority Coptic Christians. In November 2017 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi ordered the Egyptian military to stabilize the area within the three months, telling security forces to use "all brute force necessary." Previously, Al-Sisi had warned that the risk of terrorism had increased in Egypt as IS suffered major territorial losses in Iraq and Syria, pushing many of its militants to travel to Egypt. Such groups also operate on a smaller scale outside the peninsula.

The "Sinai 2018" operation aims to eradicate suspected militant and criminal cells in these areas, as well as reinforce state control along the country's borders. The Egyptian police and the army have been placed on maximum alert for the duration of the operation.

Advice

In general, 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 (e.g. 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.