Friday marked the start a major security operation in Egypt targeting “terrorist and criminal elements and organisations”. A military spokesman says the Egyptian army and police are both taking part in the operation.
“The law enforcement forces began this morning implementing the comprehensive confrontation against the terrorist and criminal elements and organisations in northern and central Sinai,” said the army spokesman in a televised statement.
The spokesman added the operation also includes other parts of Egypt such as the Delta and the western desert.
It is being reported that hospitals in north Sinai and nearby areas are on high alert in anticipation of casualties from the operation.
Friday’s announcement comes ahead of March’s presidential election in which President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi is running for a second four-year term. With campaign promises of restoring security, Mr. El-Sisi won the 2014 election in a landslide. He faces no major competition in this year’s race as many would-be challengers have either been arrested or have withdrawn from the contest.
In November, el-Sisi gave security forces a three-month deadline to restore stability to northern Sinai. His instructions followed the killing of 311 worshippers in a terrorist attack on a mosque in the turbulent region, the deadliest in Egypt’s modern history.
