Egypt’s President Sisi declared three days of national mourning and has convened his security council after the bombing of a mosque in Sinai during Friday prayers left more than 200 dead and scores more injured.
#BREAKING: 235 dead in the North Sinai mosque attack, says #Egypt Attorney General https://t.co/UAEUPLYTN4 pic.twitter.com/jNfxuCliZi
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) November 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/sinai_news_1/status/934028063125524481
Update: #Sisi chairs urgent meeting to discuss #ArishAttack
👉 https://t.co/k5hYgAtLXq#EgyptToday #Egypt #Sinai @AlsisiOfficial #العريش #مسجد_الروضه pic.twitter.com/nBAs6Tfnr7— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) November 24, 2017
The city is located approximately halfway between Port Said and Rafah on the border with Gaza.
#Egypt– emerging report of explosion in mosque during prayer time (presumably an attack) in Bir al-Abd area of North #Sinai, with many casualties on scene. pic.twitter.com/4kuQ7tvQRD
— Oded Berkowitz (@Oded121351) November 24, 2017
Hundreds of police and soldiers have been killed in Sinai since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
Agence France Presse reports:
Gunmen attacked a packed mosque in Egypt’s restive North Sinai province on Friday and set off a bomb, killing at least 115 people in one of the country’s deadliest attacks in recent memory, state media reported.
A bomb explosion ripped through the Rawda mosque roughly 40 kilometres west of the North Sinai capital of El-Arish before gunmen opened fire on the worshippers gathered for weekly Friday prayers, officials said.
The official Al-Ahram newspaper reported on its website that at least 115 people were killed and 80 wounded in the attack, which is unprecedented in a four-year insurgency by Islamist extremist groups […]
A tribal leader and head of a Bedouin militia that fights IS told AFP that the mosque is known as a place of gathering for Sufis.
The Islamic State group shares the puritan Salafi view of Sufis as heretics for seeking the intercession of saints.
The jihadists had previously kidnapped and beheaded an elderly Sufi leader, accusing him of practising magic which Islam forbids, and abducted Sufi practitioners later released after “repenting.”
As I reported here at PJ Media earlier this year, most of the Christians still living in Sinai have abandoned their homes and taken refuge on the other side of the Suez Canal after a series of murders targeting the Coptic Christian community by the area’s ISIS affiliate.
Terrorists also launched an attack near the ancient St. Catherine’s monastery.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack at a checkpoint near one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world https://t.co/9WwSsQxkJk
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) April 19, 2017
Early reports from today’s bombing indicate that both military conscripts and civilians were targeted in the attack.
The bombed mosque in #Sinai is a Sufi mosque. No group has claimed responsibility yet, but ISIS has targeted sufis multiple times in North Sinai. State of Sinai "religious police" beheaded a 98 year old popular Sufi Shiekh in Sinai last year.
— Heba Farouk Mahfouz (@HebaFarooq) November 24, 2017
Attack in #Sinai said to target #Sawarka Bedouin tribe as revenge for their support of the Egyptian military's war on terrorism #Egypt
— Soraya Bahgat (@SorayaBahgat) November 24, 2017
The area is outside the Sinai security zone and hasn’t seen any previous attack.
Today’s terrorist attack in North #Sinai was on a soft target in Beir El-Abd- it is pretty far away from Al-Arish with far less security presence compared to other places across the peninsula #Egypt pic.twitter.com/L6n8FzxnR3
— Adel El-Adawy (@adeladawy) November 24, 2017
FWIW, although #ISIS has attacked #Egypt'ian security in/around Bir alAbd, it's generally outside N #Sinai's "zone of conflict." An attack there expands area in which civilians can't feel safe… which is part of the point.
— Zack Gold (@ZLGold) November 24, 2017
First responders on the scene were also targeted by gunfire.
Ambulances came under fire as they transported victims of attack in Beir al-Abd mosque northern #Sinai #Egypt https://t.co/ka2gsBoXQn
— حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) November 24, 2017
There were two tactical phases to the mosque attack on Egypt's Sinai coast: bombs detonated inside the mosque (possibly including a suicide bomber), then gunmen shot fleeing worshipers. pic.twitter.com/CoecmciaXl
— Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (@DaveedGR) November 24, 2017
As the casualty numbers are likely to climb, this attack may end up being the most deadly in the Sinai since 2013.
With death toll creeping up towards 200, Sinai mosque attack most deadly in Sinai region since bombing of Russian Metrojet airline in October 2015.
— Paul Cruickshank (@CruickshankPaul) November 24, 2017
And condemnations of the attack and condolences are now coming in from all parts of the region and the world.
Horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenseless worshipers in Egypt. The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2017
Statement issued by @PressSec on Sinai mosque attack. pic.twitter.com/4pQOlfyHWl
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 24, 2017
Appalled by the sickening attack on a mosque in North Sinai. Condolences with all those in #Egypt affected by this evil and cowardly act.
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) November 24, 2017
.@AlsisiOfficial: I condemn in the strongest possible terms the tragic attack on the al-Rawdah mosque – a barbaric and cowardly act deliberately targeting peaceful and innocent people. #Egypt can count on Europe's solidarity and support. https://t.co/i1BiA2r2nY
— Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) November 24, 2017
Our most sincere condolences to the families of victims, the Government and the people of #Egypt and everyone affected by the heinous attack on the #mosque in #Sinai.
— Giorgi Kvirikashvili (@KvirikashviliGi) November 24, 2017
#Israel’s former Defense Minister sends condolences to #Egypt following murderous terrorist attack in #Sinai “that is directed by a common enemy of all nations and countries that seek peace and tolerance.” https://t.co/1cPx3pNjFH
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) November 24, 2017
Read #Oman's condemnation of the #Egypt mosque attack in #Sinai, that killed at least 184: https://t.co/itEo06FsIQ @MofaOman pic.twitter.com/5eKymSMD07
— Times of Oman (@timesofoman) November 24, 2017
#Kuwait strongly condemns #Sinai mosque attack | Reaffirms its solidarity with #Egypt and supports all measures it is taking to preserve its security and stability. https://t.co/DWa19oUqqi pic.twitter.com/TGhEGNGXvI
— Kuwait Mission to the UN 🇰🇼 (@KuwaitMissionUN) November 24, 2017
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