Explosion Outside Hotel in Sinai, Egypt Leaves Several Dead

Reports indicate that two explosions occurred outside a hotel in Al-Arish in northern Sinai, Egypt, resulting in casualties and injuries. This hotel was the accommodation for observers of the parliamentary elections held two days ago in Egypt. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior reported the deaths of one election observer, two police officers, and one civilian in this attack. Hours earlier, Reuters cited Egyptian security sources reporting at least four police officers killed and 12 injured on Tuesday, December 3rd. Al-Arish, the capital of North Sinai province, is a hotspot for extremist Islamic groups that have carried out numerous attacks on security personnel in recent years, resulting in many deaths and injuries. According to Reuters, armed men clashed with security personnel outside the hotel, and then a suicide bomber in a vehicle attempted to ram into the hotel, but the bomb exploded prematurely inside the vehicle, causing damage to the hotel. A jihadist group in northern Sinai, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS), claimed responsibility for this attack. This group also claimed responsibility for the recent explosion on a Russian passenger plane returning from Sharm El Sheikh in southern Sinai to Russia, which killed 224 passengers and crew on October 31. The attack on Tuesday occurred one day after the parliamentary elections in Egypt. The second phase of the parliamentary elections was held last Sunday and Monday in 13 out of 27 provinces, while former President Mohamed Morsi and several leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood have been sentenced to death for their involvement in violence following Morsi's government coming to power. The Muslim Brotherhood has been declared a 'terrorist' organization, and many of its members have been imprisoned and barred from participating in elections. The first phase of the elections took place in late October in the absence of strong opposition parties, with about 27% voter participation. The results of this election, which will determine 568 representatives for the first parliament in Egypt after the military overthrew Mohamed Morsi's government, are expected to be announced in late December.