Egyptian tank moves to Rafah border where seven soldiers have been held by an armed group. The incident has escalated tensions between the government and the military., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
103 'terrorists' arrested, 60 killed in Sinai security crackdown: Army statement
Ahram Online, Wednesday 7 Aug 2013
Sinai has witnessed daily attacks on security forces since the removal of Mohamed Morsi 3 July; UN concerned about Gaza conditions after tunnels destroyed
Army spokesman Ahmed Ali released a statement Wednesday with the results of the police and army's crackdown on "terrorism and jihadists" in Sinai from the period 5 July to 4 August.
The statement, released on Ali's official Facebook page, says that the crackdown resulted in apprehending 227 individuals — 103 of which were arrested and 124 are either dead or injured.
The 103 individuals arrested, from across Sinai, are currently being interrogated.From among the 124, 60 were killed in clashes between security forces, while 64 were injured.
Sinai has suffered a security vacuum since the January 2011 uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime. The situation escalated with the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood-backed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi 3 July. Militants have attacked police and security forces on a daily basis in response to Morsi's overthrow.
Ali also announced that 102 tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza Strip have been destroyed. The tunnels, according to the statement, were used as an entry point by terrorists, as well as for smuggling weapons, drugs and cars, among others things.
The UN released a statement late July claiming that the army's crackdown closed 80 percent of Gaza's tunnels, many of which have been used to smuggle basic necessities into Gaza, leaving the UN concerned "that already difficult economic and humanitarian conditions in Gaza will further deteriorate."
Ali also stated that 40 petroleum tanks containing 2.7 million litres of gas and diesel, intended to be smuggled into Gaza, have been destroyed.
The armed forces have also destroyed four houses that reportedly sheltered terrorists. The terrorists allegedly used the houses to initiate attacks on security forces.
Some 38 cars reportedly used by terrorists to carry weapons have been seized by authorities.
The army statement comes hours after the murder of a Mubarak-era parliamentarian by unknown assailants in Sinai.Attackers fired from a moving vehicle four bullets at Abdel Hamid Silmi, 58, as he left a mosque early Wednesday after dawn prayers.
Members of Silmi's prominent Fawakhreya tribe gathered amid a charged atmosphere at Al-Arish General Hospital, where Silmi was moved following the shooting outside Abu-Bakr Al-Seddiq Mosque.
According to Reuters, 40 people have been killed by militants attacking security checkpoints since Morsi's ouster.
Critics of the Muslim Brotherhood accuse the group of instigating violence in Sinai — charges much repeated after senior Brotherhood figure Mohamed El-Beltagy stated last month that violence in Sinai would immediately end should Morsi be reinstated.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/78559.aspx
Murder of Mubarak-era politician sparks anger in N Sinai
Ahram Online, Reuters, Wednesday 7 Aug 2013
Rare anti-Muslim Brotherhood sentiment flares in North Sinai following murder of former NDP parliamentarian Abdel Hami Silmi
An angry mob attacked a pro-Morsi rally stage in North Sinai on Wednesday in response to the early Wednesday murder of a Mubarak-era parliamentarian by unknown assailants.
Attackers shooting from a moving car fired four bullets at former parliamentarian Abdel Hamid Silmi, 58, as he left a mosque on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Silmi was a member of ousted president Hosni Mubarak's now-disbanded National Democratic Party.
Following Silmi's murder, the angry mob composed mostly of youth attacked a stage set up by the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which former president Mohamed Morsi hails, according the Al-Ahram's Arabic website.
The platform was destroyed and removed.
The anger displayed towards the Muslim Brotherhood is the first of its kind in North Sinai, which has seen a series of attacks by Islamist militants against security personnel in response to the popularly-backed army removal of the former Islamist president on 3 July.
The militants have struck security checkpoints on an almost daily basis in the restive peninsula, killing at least 40 people, according to Reuters. Silmi was the first civilian directly targeted, though there have been other civilian deaths.
Members of Silmi's prominent Fawakhreya tribe have gathered amid an atmosphere of charged fury at the Arish General Hospital, where Silmi was moved following the shooting outside the Abu-Bakr Al-Seddiq Mosque.
Critics of the Brotherhood accuse the group of instigating violence in the Sinai Peninsula, after senior Brotherhood figure Mohamed El-Beltagi stated last month that violence in Sinai would immediately subside should Morsi be reinstated.
The army, along with the police, have been increasing reinforcements in the peninsula in an attempt to crack down on militant jihadists.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/78510.aspx
Two soldiers injured in armed attack in Sinai's Arish
Ahram Online, Wednesday 7 Aug 2013
Militants attack Arish security checkpoint, leaving two soldiers injured
Two soldiers were injured in an attack by unknown assailants on a security checkpoint in Arish in North Sinai on Wednesday, state news agency MENA reported.
One of the soldiers, Mohamed Gamal Mohamed, 22, was shot in his knee and the other, Islam Abdel-Moneim Mohamed, 22, suffered from a gunshot wound to his arm.
The armed assailants shot at a security checkpoint located at the ring road out of Arish. Security forces shot back but the assailants managed to escape.
Earlier on Wednesday, army spokesman Ahmed Ali released a statement with the results of the police and army's crackdown on "terrorism and jihadists" in Sinai from 5 July to 4 August.
The crackdown resulted in apprehending 227 individuals — 103 of which were arrested and 124 are either of dead or injured, Ali said in a statement released via Facebook.
The army statement comes hours after the murder of a Mubarak-era parliamentarian by unknown assailants in Egypt’s Sinai Penninsula. Attackers fired from four bullets a moving vehicle at Abdel Hamid Silmi, 58, as he left a mosque early on Wednesday after dawn prayers.
Critics of the Muslim Brotherhood accuse the group of instigating violence in Sinai — charges much repeated after senior Brotherhood figure Mohamed El-Beltagi stated last month that violence in Sinai would immediately end should Morsi be reinstated.
Sinai has suffered a security vacuum since the January 2011 uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime.
The situation escalated with the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood-backed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July. Militants have attacked police and security forces on a daily basis in response to Morsi's overthrow.
Forty people have been killed in militants attacks on security checkpoints since Morsi's ouster, according to Reuters.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/78577.aspx
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