IS-Sinai Peninsula Hit by Egyptian Raids

Egyptian authorities have claimed some major victories over the weekend in their battle against IS-Sinai Province (ISIP) within Egypt. Operations in the deserts of Western Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, and security check points along Egypt’s borders have struck major blows to ISIP’s operations. In all, at least 52 ISIP militants were killed in these operations, raising ISIP’s death toll this year to 313.

In the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian forces  killed at least 39 and arrested 49 suspected ISIP militants. During these raids, 26 hideouts, 64 explosive devices, 12 cars, 7 motorcycles, weapons and ammunition caches, and a fuel depot used by the terrorists for various operations were all captured and/or destroyed.

In the desert along the Libyan-Egyptian border, the Egyptian air force carried out strikes that destroyed 32 vehicles that were smuggling weapons and ammunition across the border into Egypt. Border guards also managed to seize nearly 1,500 kilograms of hashish, two million drug tablets, and 11 four wheel vehicles used in smuggling operations.

Along Egypt’s northern border with the Gaza strip security forces conducted operations to counter ISIP, killing 13 terrorists near al-Arish. The Egyptian military also discovered and destroyed 4 tunnel entry points used for various smuggling operations into the Gaza strip.

Islamic State-Sinai Province, formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, was created in Egypt in 2011 after the fall of Egypt’s dictator Hosni Mubarak. The chaos and power vacuum that ensued left the Sinai Peninsula in ISIP’s control. Initially an ally of al-Qaeda, the group switched its allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014. Since the coup in 2011, the terror organization has stepped up its attacks against Egyptian security forces and Coptic Christians.

Serious attempts to crackdown on ISIP within Egypt began after a shocking attack on a Mosque in the Sinai Peninsula on November 24^th, 2017. ISIP militants set off bombs and fired at worshipers, killing at least 305 and wounding another 128 people. Since then, Egyptian President al-Sisi has pledged to destroy the terrorists within the country and has been quietly working with the Israeli military to do so.

While ISIP is relatively new, Islamic terror cells in Egypt are not. For years, Coptic Christians across the country have suffered numerous church shootings, bombings, and random attacks on their community from groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian Islamic Jihad . During the brief reign of Mohamed Morsi from June 2012 to July 2013 these attacks grew at an alarming rate. After the Muslim Brotherhood backed dictator was overthrown in a coup led by then General Adbel Fattah al-Sisi, the attacks on the Coptic community continued to grow as the Muslim Brotherhood and ISIP claimed that the Coptic Christians backed the army.

Egypt will continue to fight Islamic extremists within their country. Joint operations with their neighbor Israel will hopefully bring peace to the region and work to establish better relations between the two nations.