Sinai mosque massacre: What we know

Armed attackers killed no longer decrease than 235 people in a mosque in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, in step with sing media. The attack, which took role in the city of Bir al-Abed, about 40km west of the provincial capital of North Sinai, El Arish, came about shorty after Friday prayers.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called the attack « prison » and « cowardly » in a televised commentary on Friday.

Hours after the attack, Egyptian warplanes took to the skies, focusing on the mountainous areas around Bir al-Abed.

Right here is what we know to this level.

What came about?

All around the Friday prayers at a Sufi mosque in Bir al-Abed, North Sinai, four 4wd vehicles drove up to the mosque. Reports acknowledged the attackers planted explosives after which opened fire on worshippers.

The attackers next targeted fleeing worshipers with gunfire.

A minimal of 235 people had been killed and a hundred and twenty wounded, in step with Egyptian sing media. It was as soon as the deadliest attack of this style in Egypt’s history.

Pictures circulating on Twitter and confirmed on Egyptian TV confirmed dozens of our bodies lined in blood, lying on the bottom of the mosque.

Most of their faces had been lined with white cloths, while assorted our bodies had been wrapped in prayer rugs. Some men and females will seemingly be considered next to the our bodies.

The Bir al-Abed mosque is believed to be pleased been an straightforward target because it was as soon as outdoors the province’s essential cities.

One other that you would also have faith aim the mosque was as soon as targeted was as soon as because it followed a Sufi sect. Sufis are thought of as infidels by groups reminiscent of Islamic Convey of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also is named ISIS).

However, Friday’s prayers had been most doubtlessly attended by non-Sufis as well.

The incident came sooner or later sooner than the Egyptian/Palestinian border crossing at Rafah was as soon as speculated to open. The crossing had been due to the open for three days starting on Saturday, after being closed closing August.

However, Egypt has acknowledged the border will now remain closed due to the protection concerns.

Who is on the wait on of the attack?

To this level, no community has claimed duty nonetheless local mates of ISIL, also is named ISIS, be pleased claimed old attacks.

Timothy Kaldas, a professor at Nile University in Cairo, told Al Jazeera the attack « suits the sample of ISIS attacks ».

« Potentially, it is one more attack towards Sufis in northern Sinai. Potentially, it is retaliation for tribes co-operating with the sing in the crackdown on ISIS, » he acknowledged.

The Sinai Peninsula has been the scene of attacks for years, as Egypt has been battling an armed anti-executive campaign in the rugged and thinly populated location.

The war ignited in 2013, after Egypt’s militia overthrew Mohamed Morsi, the first democratically elected president of Egypt after the Arab Spring. With the ousting of Mursi, forces in the Sinai Peninsula rose up and began attacking Egyptian security forces.

Over the years, most attacks had been targeted at troopers and police, nonetheless civilians be pleased been killed sooner than as well. Heaps of of oldsters be pleased died in the war to this level.

In 2014, President Sisi declared a sing of emergency in the peninsula, after a suicide bomber killed 33 troopers. He described the location as a « nesting ground for terrorism and terrorists ».

All around the closing couple of months of 2017, a replacement of attacks be pleased taken role, with six security forces killed in October and 18 in September.

How has the Egyptian executive reacted to the attack?

Presently after Friday’s attack, President Sisi condemned the attack. He expressed condolences to the victims and their families and acknowledged the attack « won’t crawl unpunished ».

The manager declared a three-day interval of mourning for the victims.

« The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and steadiness with the utmost power, » Sisi acknowledged.

After Sisi’s speech, Egyptian warplanes targeted several areas in the location around Bir al-Abed, witnesses reported.

Kaldas acknowledged many people be pleased criticised the Egyptian executive’s « scorched earth approach » in Sinai, nonetheless conceded that the location is « very anxious terrain ».

« It be a mountainous barren region location that’s no longer very developed. Even with the high quality approach, it is miles a engaging role to manipulate, » he acknowledged.

Al Jazeera’s Heart East analyst Yehia Ghanem acknowledged the intensified violence in Sinai over the closing four years has been frail by the Egyptian executive to escalate repression all the arrangement in which by the nation.

« The Egyptian regime has initiated violence in the Sinai – all over the nation nonetheless particularly in Sinai. It be a rule: violence begets violence, » he acknowledged.

How has the area reacted to the Sinai attack?

Leaders and organisations world broad be pleased spoken out en masse towards Friday’s attack.

The UN Security Council and Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-odd, strongly condemned the attack. A commentary launched by the organisation called it a « contaminated and cowardly terrorist attack » and reiterated that each acts of terrorism « are prison and unjustifiable, no topic their motivation. »

US President Donald Trump condemned the massacre as « atrocious and cowardly ».

« The arena can not tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that kinds the root of their existence!, » he wrote on Twitter.

Later, he acknowledged he would name Sisi to discuss the attack and acknowledged « we must be grand smarter and more difficult than ever », doubling down on his belief for a border wall and spin ban.

Spoiled and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenseless worshipers in Egypt. The arena can not tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that kinds the root of their existence!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2017

Will be calling the President of Egypt in a transient while to discuss the tragic terrorist attack, with so grand lack of life. We be pleased now to gain TOUGHER AND SMARTER than ever sooner than, and we are in a position to. Need the WALL, need the BAN! God bless the people of Egypt.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2017

Pope Francis launched a commentary offering condolences to Egypt, saying « His Holiness joins all people of upright will in imploring that hearts hardened by hatred will learn to renounce the technique of violence that outcomes in such astronomical struggling, and contain the technique of peace ».

EU President Donald Tusk acknowledged on Twitter he was as soon as « appalled by the attack on a mosque in North Sinai. My thoughts are with Egypt and all those plagued by this wrong and cowardly act ».

Appalled by the attack on a mosque in North #Sinai.
My thoughts are with Egypt and all those plagued by this wrong and cowardly act.

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) November 24, 2017

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary-odd, called the attack « barbaric ». British Prime Minister Theresa Would possibly per chance well additionally honest described it as an « wrong and cowardly act ».

In a speech in Istanbul, Binali Yildirim, Turkish high minister, acknowledged: « 235 innocent people had been killed, there are 1000’s of others injured. Is this Islam? Is this humanity? »

Many assorted countries condemned the attacks as well, including Qatar, Italy and Kuwait.