Egypt: Policemen attacked in Sinai Sep. 11, militants killed in Cairo Sep. 10

Event

At least 18 policemen were killed and seven were wounded in an attack on a police convoy in the Sinai Peninsula on Monday, September 11. The convoy was ambushed near Al-Arish, the capital city of North Sinai province. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Furthermore, on Sunday, September 10, security forces killed ten suspected militants during a raid in central Cairo. At least three policemen were injured during the raid, which occurred in the Ard el-Liwa neighborhood. Police reportedly seized large quantities of bomb-making materials, weapons, and ammunition. Security officials believe that the militants were members of Hasm, a militant faction of the Muslim Brotherhood that regularly target members of the security forces.

Context

Egypt is struggling to combat an insurgency by IS's local branch, 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 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.). Some governments advise their nationals against all travel to northern Sinai, where the authorities maintain a media blackout and special security zones due to the persistent terrorist threat.​