Egypt: Government reports militant killed in Faiyum province July 11

Event

On Tuesday, July 11, the Egyptian Interior Ministry announced a militant with suspected links to the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood had been killed in a shootout with security forces in the province of Faiyum (southwest of Cairo). Two other individuals present during the fighting managed to escape. The Ministry claimed all three men belonged to the Hasm faction of the Muslim Brotherhood. Additional security operations are possible in the coming hours and days.

Context

The Hasm movement is a militant group allegedly linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood organization. The Brotherhood won a series of elections in Egypt following the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and Mohammed Morsi, a senior Brotherhood leader, became Egypt’s first freely elected president the following year. His brief rule proved divisive, and the military overthrew him in 2013. Authorities outlawed the Brotherhood a few months later, declaring it a terrorist group.

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 a suicide car bombing at a military checkpoint in northern Sinai. The incident was claimed by IS, 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

The security environment in Egypt remains complex. Although travel is permissible in some areas, other areas should be considered strictly off limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.