Coptic Attack In Egypt: Authorities Retaliate Against A Jihadist Base

After the raids, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi (here in March 2017) addressed the nation to say that Egypt will hit the terrorist forces wherever they are.

Egyptian authorities announced late in the evening on Friday (May 26th) that the air force has carried out a series of raids against a jihadist base in eastern Libya. According to the statement, the base is linked to the attack that caused about 30 deaths among Coptic pilgrims in the west of the province of Minieh in Middle Egypt.

According to Egyptian state media, the air force carried out six strikes against a camp in the region of Derna in eastern Libya. A jihadist camp where the ten members of the commando who carried out the attack on the Coptic pilgrims of Minieh were trained.

The monastery where the pilgrims used to go was located in the western Egyptian desert and the assailants arrived on board a 4x4. This is the second time that the air force strikes targets in Libya. In 2015 she had bombed a jihadist camp the day after the assassination of 21 Copts.

After the raids, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi appealed to the nation to claim that Egypt will hit the evil terrorist forces wherever they are, in Egypt or outside of Egypt. He also called on the international community, and in particular, US President Donald Trump, to put into practice the declarations of intent for a widespread fight against terrorism.

Analysis

This new attack has not been claimed immediately, but it intervenes while the Egyptian branch of the jihadist Islamic State (EI) group has been campaigning for several months against the Coptic minority. President Al-Sissi instituted a state of emergency last April after a previous attack, but it seems that this is not enough. Through the Copts, it is besides also the Egyptian president who is attacked, according to Robert Sole, journalist-writer, specialist of Egypt.

Through the Copts, we obviously attack President Sissi, whom the Copts massively supported at the time of the presidential election.