Egypt: Police kill 16 militants in Ismailia July 8

Event

The Egyptian Interior Ministry announced that the security forces shot and killed 16 suspected fugitive militants in two shootouts at a militant training camp in Ismailia on Saturday, July 8. The suspects were reportedly linked to a series of recent attacks on security forces in the Sinai peninsula, including an explosion killing two officers and wounding nine others on Saturday.

In a separate statement, the Interior Ministry also announced the killing of two alleged fugitive terrorists in Giza on Saturday.

Context

The militant threat remains high across Egypt. While the worst violence has been largely concentrated in the Sinai region, there has been an increase in the number of attacks elsewhere in the country as well, usually targeting policemen and soldiers, security checkpoints, or government buildings. On Friday, July 7, at least 23 soldiers were killed during twin suicide bombings at two military checkpoints in Sinai. The incident was claimed by Islamic State (IS) members, and is the bloodiest assault on security forces in recent years.

Egypt has been under a nationwide state of emergency since April 2017, when IS militants carried out attacks on two churches in Tanta and Alexandria, leaving over 50 people dead.

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.). All travel to northern Sinai is advised against; the authorities maintain a media blackout and special security zones in the region due to the ongoing terrorist campaign of Sinai Province.