Egypt: Four policeman killed by roadside bomb July 17

Event

On Monday, July 17, four policemen were killed in Arish in the Sinai Peninsula when their armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Three other policemen were injured by a second bomb as their armored vehicle rushed to the scene of the initial explosion. According to local sources, the bombs were detonated remotely. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Context

Egypt is struggling to combat an insurgency by the Islamic State Sinai Province (IS-SP) in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed since 2013. Northeastern Sinai, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, has been a particularly volatile. Egypt has been under a nationwide state of emergency since April 2017, when Islamic State militants carried out attacks on two churches in Tanta and Alexandria, leaving over 50 people dead.

The Egyptian army has stepped up its operations on the Libyan border, over fears that armed fighters will enter the country to commit attacks. Since Muammar Gaddafi's fall in 2011, the security situation in Libya remains precarious. With three competing governments, there is a low probability of relative stability in the short-term.

Advice

The security environment in Egypt remains complex. Although travel is permissible in some areas, other areas should be considered strictly off limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.​