Egypt: Security forces kill two suspected terrorists in Giza July 8

Event

Authorities confirmed that two suspected terrorists were killed in Giza on Saturday, July 8. According to security sources, the police were conducting a raid on their hideout when the militants opened fire. Media reports said that the two men are members of the Hasm Movement.

Context

The Hasm Movement is a militant group allegedly linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood organization. It claimed responsibility for killing a security officer outside of his home in Qalubiya on Friday, July 7. The group has claimed a number of attacks targeting judges and security personnel since 2016.

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.

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.