Official opinion

The situation in the Sinai Peninsula is deteriorating. In response to the deployment of the Egyptian contingent there, a group of Salafist militants promised new terrorist attacks. Radical Islamists are calling on the Egyptian authorities for a joint war against Israel. In its statement, the terrorist group operating in the Sinai Peninsula said it was not involved in the attack on the Rafah checkpoint, which led to the death of 16 soldiers in early August, and “never used weapons against the Egyptian army.” The Sinai Salafis declared the terrorist attack on the border to be the result of the actions of the “Zionist enemy.” If the special operation in Sinai continues, the militants warned, terrorist attacks would follow in response.

The Egyptian army, with the help of armored vehicles and aircraft, continues to clear the Sinai Peninsula of radical groups that intensified after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. According to intelligence data, about 2 thousand militants are currently operating there. President Mohammed Morsi decided to introduce troops to the peninsula, bypassing the Camp David Accords declaring Sinai a demilitarized zone. Israel made it clear that it is ready to allow Cairo to violate the agreement. The actions of the Egyptian army in Sinai, according to media reports, are coordinated with the Israeli military. Stability in this area is in the interests of Tel Aviv - from there, Palestinian militants from Gaza regularly attack Israeli territory. Due to the worsening situation in Sinai, a new missile defense battery recently had to be transferred to the southern regions of Israel, near tourist Eilat.

Maria Efimova

Islamist militants threaten Egypt with war in Sinai