Islamic State had urged its followers to escalate attacks during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan which started in mid-June, though it did not specify Egypt as a target. The statement is particularly significant because in the past, the Egyptian military has been viewed as hostile to the Christian minority in the Sinai region, but the rise of Islamic extremism, and clashes between the army and Islamic State terrorists, have changed that dynamic.
Advertisement
In Cairo, the interior ministry said security forces killed nine leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood in an apartment in a western suburb after the men opened fire on them.
“They fired rockets and bullets at the army camp in Zuhour and the Shaikh Zuwaid police station”.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.
The army also raided a house in Rafah, killing six armed IS militants wearing military uniforms, the officials said, adding that it had cleared the area around the Sheikh Zuweid police station of mines and IEDs. Two armored personnel carriers were seen maneuvering in the border area.
According to the military and security officials, not less than 53 soldiers had lost their lives when the Islamic extremists unleashed a wave of simultaneous attacks on Wednesday, which also includes suicide auto bombings, on Egyptian army checkpoints in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula.
El-Sissi, who as army chief led Morsis overthrow, was elected president previous year on a ticket that emphasized security and economic recovery.
The insurgency also poses a serious threat to Egypt’s security as the military-backed government struggles to restore stability after years of unrest since the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Morsi is among those condemned to die, but an appeals process remains ahead of him. Israel’s concern is over the impact this will have on the Gaza Strip, especially given the close ties between the Salafi groups in Sinai and Gaza, and the fact that the Salafi groups in Gaza are actively trying to undermine Hamas rule.
Egyptian security officials say gunmen shot and killed a security guard in front of a bank in Fayoum, 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Cairo. He signaled an even harsher campaign against the Brotherhood, and toughened anti-terrorism legislation has been submitted for his approval. “We won’t wait for that”, el-Sissi said on Tuesday.
Islamic State insurgents attacked several military checkpoints in Egypt’s North Sinai yesterday in a co-ordinated assault that killed more than 100 people – one of the biggest militant strikes in Egypt’s modern history.
The military spokesman posted photographs on his Facebook page of militants killed in the fighting. The ministry said the group was planning attacks on the army, police, judiciary and media.
The Brotherhood called for a “rebellion” and described the killings as “a turning point that will have its own repercussions”.
“Come out in rebellion and in defense of your country, yourselves and your children”, it said in a statement issued in English. The move raises the prospect of a few Brotherhood supporters who had previously focused on peaceful demonstrations to turn to violence.
He said the attack revealed the weaknesses of the militarys scorched earth operations against militants in the northern Sinai, which he says have made it difficult for an army that is very, very overstretched to recruit local support. In a graphic on its front page, el-Watan daily said they also used mortars, anti-aircraft guns and other guided missiles.
Advertisement
The Brotherhood has denied involvement in the attacks, many of which have been claimed by other groups, including the Sinai-based militants behind Wednesdays coordinated assault, who are loyal to the Islamic State group.
