“Jihadists in the peninsula have killed scores of policemen and soldiers since Morsi’s overthrow to avenge a bloody police crackdown on his supporters.” And if the Egyptian military responds to this with any serious action, the jihadists will use that as something to be avenged with their next jihad attack. Any act of self-defense against jihadis is interpreted by them as an unprovoked attack that must be avenged — they never take any responsibility for their own actions.
“Egypt’s Sinai in lockdown after bomb kills 30 troops,” by Tony Gamal-Gabriel, AFP, October 24, 2014 (thanks to John):
Cairo (AFP) – Egypt imposed a state of emergency Saturday across parts of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula as the military pounded suspected jihadists after a suicide car bombing killed 30 soldiers.
Friday’s bombing was the deadliest attack on security forces since the army deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last year, to the fury of his supporters.
The state of emergency in the north and centre of the Sinai will remain in place for three months, the president’s office said.
A curfew is in force from 5:00 pm to 7:00 am.
Egypt also announced it would close the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip, the only entry to the Palestinian territory not controlled by Israel.
Witnesses told AFP that new security checkpoints were erected in Rafah and the north Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid.
“The army and police will take all necessary measures to tackle the dangers of terrorism and its financing, to preserve the security of the region… and protect the lives of citizens,” a presidential decree said….
Jihadists in the peninsula have killed scores of policemen and soldiers since Morsi’s overthrow to avenge a bloody police crackdown on his supporters.
The violence has dealt a further blow to a tourism industry already reeling since a 2011 uprising that overthrew long-time president Hosni Mubarak.
While south Sinai is dotted with tourist resorts on the Red Sea — a popular destination for scuba divers — the lawless north is a base for militants who have launched a wave of attacks, mostly targeting security forces.
The peninsula’s southern coastline has been largely spared the violence rocking the country since 2011, partly thanks to security checkpoints in the region.
But it has not been completely untouched by the militants.
In February, a suicide bomber killed three South Korean tourists in an attack on a bus in the south Sinai resort of Taba that was claimed by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the most active militant group in Egypt….