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Sinai insurgency is a radical Islamist militant campaign in Sinai peninsula, initiating in early 2011, as a fallout of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. The actions of those Islamist elements, largely composed of radicals among the local Bedouins, drew a harsh response from interim Egyptian government since mid-2011 as Operation Eagle. However, attacks against government and foreign facilities in the area have continued by mid-2012, resulting in massive crackdown by new Egyptian government nicknamed Operation Sinai.

Background

Following the overthrow of the Egyptian regime of Mubarak in 2011, the country became increasingly distabilized. Radical Islamic elements in the Sinai peninsula exploited the opportunity, using the unique environment of the largely demilitarized Sinai Peninsula, in launching several waves of attacks upon Egyptian military and commercial facilities.

History

First attacks

Commercial facilities

First insurgency attacks came sporadically from late February 2011, concentrating on the Arab Gas Pipeline, running into Jordan, Syria and Lebanon and its offshoot from al-Arish to Israel - constantly disrupting Egyptian gas supply to the entire region.

July 2011 Egyptian police station attack

On 30 July, militants staged an attack on an Egyptian police station in El-Arish, killing six.

On 2 August, a group claiming to be the Sinai wing of Al-Qaeda declared its intention to create an Islamic caliphate in the Sinai.

Operation Eagle

In mid-2011, a squad of unrecognized Islamic terrorists infiltrated Israeli border from Sinai, launching coordinated attacks against Israeli military and civilians. Following bloody clashes in the south, Israel accused Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and launched retaliation attack, escalating the tension with Palestinian militants.

August 2012 attack

On 5 August 2012 a group of armed men ambushed an Egyptian military base in the Sinai Peninsula, killing 16 Egyptian soldiers and stealing two Egyptian armored cars, and then infiltrated into Israel. The attackers rammed through the Kerem Shalom border crossing in Israel, while one of the vehicles exploded. The attackers then engaged in a firefight with soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, and six attackers were killed during the firefight. No Israelis were injured. The attackers were dressed as Bedouins and attacked with guns and rocket-propelled grenades. 35 attackers took part in this attack on the Egyptian base.

Operation Sinai

August 2012 attack on Egyptian armed forces triggered a crackdown, led by the Egyptian Army, Police special forces and the Air Force, sweeping Sinai from Jehadist terrorist militants. The operation was named Operation Sinai (2012).

See also

• Arab Spring

References

1. Awad, Marwa (16 August 2011). "Egypt army operation nets militants in Sinai-sources". Reuters Africa. Cairo. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
2. Hassan, Amro (17 August 2011). "Nearly 20 alleged gas pipeline saboteurs arrested". Los Angeles Times. Cairo. Retrieved 19 August 2011. Concerns over the security situation in Sinai intensified on Aug. 2 when a group referring to itself as Al Qaeda's wing in Sinai called for the creation of an Islamic caliphate in the peninsula.
3. No byline. "Egyptian Who Shot 7 is Dead". The New York Times. January 8, 1986. URL accessed on December 31, 2006.
4. Yaakov Katz (6 August 2012). "The Sinai attack: Blow by blow". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
5. "Egypt vows strong response to Sinai attack". Al Jazeera. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
6. Yoav Zitun (6 August 2012). "Watch: IAF strikes Sinai terror cell". Yedioth Ahronot. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
7. Yaakov Katz and Herb Keinon (6 August 2012). "Israel considers request for more Egyptian troops in Sinai". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
9. "Egypt's Army announced Saturday that they killed 32 'criminals' in an ongoing anti-terrorism offensive in the Sinai Peninsula called 'Operation Sinai'."

External links

• Egyptian Armed Forces

See also

• Arab Spring

References

External links

• Egyptian Armed Forces

• Military of Egypt
• Military operations post-1945
• Sinai Peninsula
• Terrorism in Egypt