28 Nov 2017 | 10:57 PM UTC
Egypt: Security forces kill militants during raid in Ismailia province Nov. 28
Egyptian security forces kill 11 militants in a raid in Ismailia province on November 28
Event
On Tuesday, November 28, Egyptian security forces conducted a raid in Ismailia province, killing 11 militants, and arresting six others. According to the Interior Ministry, the operation targeted a compound suspected of providing logistical support to militants in the Sinai Peninsula, where over 300 people were killed in an Islamic State (IS) attack on November 24. Also on Tuesday, security forces raided a suspected militant hideout in the area of the 10th of Ramadan, approximately 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Cairo.
Context
According to President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, the risk of terrorism has increased in the country as IS's major territorial losses in Iraq and Syria have caused many of its militants to travel to Egypt.
Over 300 people were killed in a suspected IS attack on Al-Rawda mosque on Friday, November 24. The attack took place in the town of Bir Al-Abed, approximately 40 km (25 mi) west of Al-Arish (North Sinai), during Friday prayers. Egypt is currently under a state of emergency, originally declared following IS attacks on churches in Alexandria and Tanta, which killed 44 people on Palm Sunday in April 2017.
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 the Sinai Peninsula due to the persistent terrorist threat.
