Egypt: Security forces kill 14 militants in Ismailia and Sinai as of November 28

Event

On Tuesday, November 28, Egyptian authorities confirmed that the country's security forces have killed at least 14 Islamist militants in Ismailia province and the Sinai peninsula since Islamist militants launched a major attack on a mosque that killed over 300 people in North Sinai province on Friday, November 24. Egypt's Ministry of Interior confirmed on Tuesday that 11 militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Ismailia province, and six others were arrested in recent days; an additional three militants were killed by Egyptian security forces in central Sinai. Additional raids by Egyptian security forces targeting Islamist militants are expected in the coming weeks, as Egyptian authorities attempt to curb further militant violence following Friday's deadly mosque attack.

Context

On Wednesday, November 29, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi ordered the Egyptian military to stabilize the restive Sinai peninsula within the next three months, telling security forces to use "all brute force necessary" to restore security in the region. The declaration comes a few days after the November 24 attack on a mosque in the town of Bir Al-Abed (North Sinai province) that killed over 300 people. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although an Islamic State (IS) affiliate is suspected.

The Sinai Peninsula has been the site 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.

Egypt remains 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.

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.