Egypt: Three soldiers killed in Sinai amid military operation /update 4

Event

The Egyptian army announced on Monday, February 19, that three soldiers were killed amid an ongoing security operation in the Sinai Peninsula, the Nile Delta, and the Western Desert, which began on February 9. It is the first time that the army has declared losses, although the communiqué does not specify when or where the three soldiers were killed. The communiqué also announced that security forces have killed four armed militants and arrested at least 400 others, bombed 170 militant positions, and discovered at least 246 hideouts and caches containing arms and ammunition.

Several hundred police agents and soldiers continue to patrol the abovementioned areas, while at least 100 airstrikes have been reported in the central and northern regions of the Sinai; additional security force raids on suspected militant positions are likely in the coming days.

Context

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.

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.

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. 

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.