Saudi Arabia strongly condemns terrorist attack in West Sinai
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attack that targeted one of the water lifting points west of Sinai in Egypt and led to the death and injury of several Egyptian armed forces.
The Ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s unwavering support for Egypt in the face of anything that threatens its security and stability, as well as its gratitude for the Egyptian Armed Forces’ contribution to combating terrorist and sabotage actions.
“The Kingdom expresses its heartfelt condolences and compassion to the victims’ families, as well as the government and people of the sisterly Republic of Egypt, and wishes all those injured a swift recovery,” it stated.
An officer and ten Egyptian troops were killed in a “terrorist” attack in western Sinai yesterday, according to the Egyptian army, which added that “the pursuit and besiegement of terrorist groups are continuing.”
Eleven Egyptian soldiers were killed after responding to an attack on a water pumping station in the western Sinai area by “terrorist forces,” according to a statement released by the Egyptian army on Saturday (May 7, 2022).
According to the Egyptian National Media Authority, the foiled “terrorist” attempt occurred east of the Suez Canal.
At least in the last two years, attacks against the Egyptian military have been extremely infrequent. The army was assaulted in the city of Bir al-Abed in North Sinai Governorate towards the end of April 2020, killing and wounding 10 recruits, and the attack was later claimed by the “Islamic State” (ISIS).
Egypt has been dealing with an uptick in extremist Islamist activity in North and Central Sinai for years, notably, after the army removed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following enormous public uprisings against his leadership.
Egyptian authorities have been fighting armed and extremist organizations in North and Central Sinai, as well as other regions of the nation, since February 2018. These extremists, as well as security personnel, targeted tourists and Copts.
The most recent attack on visitors occurred in May 2019, when an explosion targeted a bus carrying tourists near the Giza pyramids in the west of Cairo, injuring at least 17 persons, including South African tourists.
