Egypt: Five terrorists killed in Al-Sharqia raid December 4

Event

According to the Interior Ministry, security forces killed five alleged terrorists in Al-Sharqia province on Monday, December 4. The operation took place near the cities of 10th of Ramadan and Belbeis, approximately 150 km (95 mi) northeast of Cairo. Reports said the terrorists opened fire as the soldiers approached their hideout, where government forces found ammunition and explosives. Authorities later arrested six terrorists associated with the same cell.

Context

Egypt remains under a state of emergency, originally declared following Islamic State (IS) attacks on churches in Alexandria and Tanta, which killed 44 people on Palm Sunday in April 2017.

The Sinai Peninsula has been the epicenter of frequent attacks by IS-affiliated militants since 2013 - usually targeting security forces or minority Coptic Christians. Previously, Al-Sisi warned that the risk of terrorism had increased in Egypt as IS's major territorial losses in Iraq and Syria have caused many of its militants to travel to Egypt. Such groups operate on a smaller scale outside the peninsula, including in the Nile Delta.

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.