22 Jul 2017 | 03:49 AM UTC
Egypt: One policeman killed in attack near Faiyum July 20
Unidentified militants attack police on road between Cairo and Faiyum July 20; at least one dead and three injured
Event
Unidentified gunmen attacked a police convoy traveling from Cairo to Faiyum on Thursday, July 20. The ambush left one policeman dead and three others injured. Reports say the assailants fired from a position at a roadside plantation and escaped thereafter. Faiyum is considered a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group heavily sanctioned by the regime of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Context
Egypt is struggling to combat an insurgency by the Islamic State Sinai Province (IS-SP) in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed since 2013. Northeastern Sinai, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, has been particularly volatile. Egypt has been under a nationwide state of emergency since April 2017, when Islamic State 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.
