Egypt: Police kill 15 militants in Al-Arish (North Sinai province) October 3

Event

Police killed 15 suspected militants during a raid in Al-Arish (North Sinai province), according to Egyptian authorities on Wednesday, October 3. Security forces reportedly seized weapons and neutralized explosive devices in the militants' hideout, where the shootout took place. Similar raids on suspected militant hideouts are to be anticipated in North Sinai province in the near-term.

Context

Notably, on October 1, the Islamic State (IS) group claimed that a leader of the group had been killed in the Sinai Peninsula.

Security forces are currently conducting a significant counterterrorism operation in Egypt. The "Sinai 2018" mission aims to neutralize suspected militant and criminal cells in the Sinai Peninsula, the Nile Delta, and the Western Desert, as well as reinforce state control along the country's borders. The Egyptian police and the army have been placed on maximum alert in these regions 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.

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 (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.). Many governments advise against travel to North Sinai, where authorities maintain a media blackout and special security zones amid the ongoing anti-terrorist campaign.