Egyptian Army Reports Destruction of Several Islamist Militant Targets in Sinai

The Egyptian army announced the destruction of several targets belonging to Islamist militants in northern Sinai, stating that its forces killed 16 members of the group and arrested over 30 suspects. According to the Associated Press, Tamer al-Rifai, the army spokesperson, said on Sunday, February 11, that the airstrikes, which began on Friday, February 10, targeted vehicles, weapons hideouts, communication centers, and illegal poppy cultivation fields. He also noted that the Egyptian Air Force targeted and destroyed '66 locations used by terrorists' during the air and ground assaults. The ground, air, and naval operations of the Egyptian army and police aimed at 'terrorist and criminal elements and organizations' were conducted ahead of the country's presidential elections, which are set to take place in March this year after all serious opponents of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have been sidelined or rejected, and he is expected to win another four-year term. Mr. el-Sisi, who claims to be the only person capable of restoring security to Egypt, ordered operations in the Sinai Peninsula following attacks by Islamic State (ISIS) militants, who killed 311 worshippers in a mosque in Sinai in the deadliest attack in modern Egyptian history last November, prompting el-Sisi to give security forces a three-month deadline to restore order. However, a month later, in December, a missile attack by ISIS forces on a helicopter resulted in the death of one army officer and injuries to two others. Militant forces have long been present in the Sinai Peninsula, but their presence and operations increased after el-Sisi overthrew Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in a military coup in 2013. Meanwhile, two militant groups that have previously attacked security forces announced their plans for new attacks in the future. These two groups called on the Egyptian people to unite against the 'criminal regime that digs its own grave' and promised to continue their struggle against the government. The 'Revolution Brigade,' one of these two militant groups, stated that the army and police operations, which involved tens of thousands of soldiers, indicated that the government had lost control of the Sinai Peninsula. According to the Associated Press, officials believe that both groups, designated as terrorist organizations by Egypt and the U.S., are offshoots of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been declared illegal by el-Sisi's government.