sinai @en – European Affairs Magazine

Islamic State seeks to impose religious rules in Egypt's North Sinai

3 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Islamic State could be imposing its rules over North Sinai Provicne, according to Reuters. Indeed, Interviews with residents of North Sinai and reviews of Islamic State videos suggest the group’s local affiliate, known as Sinai Province, is seeking to impose its hardline interpretation of Islam on the local populace for the first time. According to Sinai Province videos reviewed by Reuters, the group has created a morality police force, known as a Hisba, to enforce strict rules against such behaviour as smoking, men shaving their beards or women exposing their faces. And, even if the Cairo policy toward islamic groups is cleared, the eradication of these groups, we can still deplored terrorist attacks, and peoples killed or injured by IS in North Sinai Province. According to the report, IS try to keep an influence on the area, in despite of controlling a geographic area.

Egypt: Militant group Hassm claims responsability for attack on Nasr City chekpoint

3 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

North Sinai victim of new attacks against Egypt authorities. On Monday, two policemen had been killed, and 5 people injured in Nasr City. The attack happened on a checkpoint of the city. Attack is vindicated by a new-born terrorist group, named “the Hawks of Determination”. The terrorist group announced the death of 6 people, and has promised to publish a video of the attack on social media, soon. The group, form in 2016, has vindicated other similar attacks since June 2016 in the region. However, even if this attack show insecurity in North Sianai, we need to underline that according to the latest report by the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policies (TIMEP), the number of terrorist attacks in Egypt decreased in the last quarter of 2016 to 168, compared to 209 in the third quarter, with 92 percent of the attacks taking place in North Sinai.

Islamic State car bomb kills 4 tribesmen in Egypt’s Sinai

26 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Insecurity in North Sinai, even if Cairo’s government has declared the state of emergency after Palm’s attacks, threats continue. An Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber attacked a tribal checkpoint in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Tuesday, killing four members of a powerful local tribe and wounding others, Egyptian security officials said. This new attack against local tribes follows recent clashes which took place in the area last week, with conflict opposing Bedouin tribes and IS.

Expecting Islamic State terror gruop attack, Israel closes Taba Crossing into Egypt

11 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

In a highly unusual move, Israel shut down the Taba Crossing to Israelis trying to enter Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on the eve of Passover on Monday, citing fears of an imminent terror attack by the Islamic State terror group. Israel announced the closure of the border for at least one week (until next Thursday). However, thousands of Israelis were expected to pass the border for the Passover Holidays. The closure was ordered by Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz, after discussion with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and other security officials. Since the official opening of the border in 1982, it had been closed few times, the last one had been in 2014.

What next for Sinai's displaced Copts?

21 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

After the exodus of Coptic families from North Sinai, following the numerous aggressions last weeks, the question of the relocation of Coptic family create a debate in Egypt. According to some echoes, recorded by the Journal Al-Monitor, victims disclaiming the incompetence of the government to manage the situation, their unconscious of the situation. Number of families refute to go back in al-Arisch, where a part of the city had been destructed by recent conflicts, and, moreover, it remain unsafe for Coptic families. Maher Zeki, a volunteer at the Monastery of Saint Anthony, which has welcomed 52 displaced families in Future City in the Ismailia governorate, said that he is betting on public solidarity to support the displaced. He noted that el-Arish residents do not want to return because of the death threats against them, so the only solution is for them to integrate into the areas in which they have sought shelter. The volunteers are ensuring the smooth flow of this process, he claimed.

Ghaffar and Sobhi visited security forces in North Sinai

18 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel Ghaffar and Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi visited security forces stationed in North Sinai to boost morale. The DefenceMinsiter, after to have greats Egyptian’s troops in Sinai, has recalled the importance of their mission to fight and eliminate terrorism from Egypt. After the exodus of Copt families last week, due to massive attacks against their community, Egyptian’s government has deployed forces in some cities to maintain peace and stability.

Police colonel killed in bomb attack in Sinai

10 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

A North Sinai police colonel was killed Wednesday night in a bomb attack on a security checkpoint in North Sinai, Egypt’s interior ministry announced. Colonel Yasser El-Hadidi was killed when a bomb exploded near his patrol in El-Arish, in the vicinity of the city’s third police station, the ministry said on its official Facebook page.Three other policemen were also injured in the attack. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes only a few days after the army said security forces arrested 12 “extremely dangerous” leaders of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis in central Sinai. Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, the main Islamist group battling the Egyptian state in North Sinai, has changed its name from “Sinai Province” to the “Islamic State in Egypt”.

North and Central Sinai: military presence didn't stop terrorits attacks

6 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

After attacks against Copt community these weeks, Egyptian government has chosen to repress terrorists who had committed attacks. Friday night, some military staff had appeared in the street of the terrorized city, after the fleeing of some families due to the former exactions. However, this military presence didn’t stop terrorits attacks. Saturday night, a young egyptain had been killed by ISIS in the region, after his kidnapping in the afternoon. The terrorist group affiliated to ISIS since 2014 creates the terror in the city.

Sinai: Jihadist attacks against Christians grow in number

6 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Dozens of Coptic families have fled North Sinai as jihadist attacks against Christians grow in number. Simultaneously, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis fired missiles across the border into Israel, prompting an Israeli response that killed several Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis operatives in Egypt, and security forces launched a new sweep of Gabal Al-Halal, a notorious militant hideout.According to sources interviewed, the connection is clear. It is reinforced, they say, by the growing role played by Gaza jihadists in the leadership of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, a role they claim is reflected in the ferocious campaign to discredit Cairo’s policy towards the Palestinian-Israeli negotiating process, which has included leaks from the Aqaba summit and the spreading of rumours of a land exchange that would allow Palestinians to settle in Sinai.Analysts also believe the attacks against Copts are part of an attempt to place Egypt in an awkward situation internationally. The recent incidents occurred in tandem with a number of high-profile visits — of the British foreign secretary and the German chancellor — and ahead of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s upcoming visit to the US.The idea of “correspondence” between radical Islamist organisations begs the question of Muslim Brotherhood involvement.A security source points to the resemblance between the video claiming responsibility for the bombing of St Peter’s Church in December and the video posted on Al-Nabaa calling for attacks against Copts. Both, he says, display “a distinct Brotherhood tone perceptible in the rhetorical details suggesting that the Brotherhood media machine or, more precisely, rebel factions within the Brotherhood such as Hasm and the Revolution Brigade, had a hand in its making”.

Terror in Sinai: Amnesty International accused the Egyptian government to have fail in his mission

4 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

A serie of attack have touched the city of Al-Arich (North Sinai) these weeks. These attacks has been revendicated by Ansar Beit Al-Maqudès (ISIS in Egypt). Attacks against Copt community aren’t a recent fact, we can unfortunately remember the bomb attack at the church of St Peter and St Paul in Cairo (December). But on last Wednesday, Amnesty International accused the Egyptian government to have fail in his mission to protect Christians in North Sinai. Copt community icondamned to flee toward Ovest of the countrie.