Egyptian Army Chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is seen during a news conference in Cairo on the release of seven members of the Egyptian security forces kidnapped by Islamist militants in Sinai, May 22, 2013. REUTERS
TEMPO.CO, Sinai – The Egyptian government has declared a three-month state of emergency in parts of the Sinai Peninsula after a least 31 solders were killed in two attacks there. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has also declared three days of mourning in the wake of the attacks.
As reported by BBC, two attacks occurred in two different locations that targeted Egyptian soldiers on Friday, October 24. One of the attacks hit an army checkpoint near El Arish, the main town in the north of the peninsula, where 28 soldiers were killed.
The second attack occurred at a checkpoint in the town itself and killed three more soldiers. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but jihadists are strongly suspected of being behind the attacks.
The Sinai Peninsula has become a lawless area ever since President Hosni Mubarrak was toppled in 2011. Additionally, violence in the area is escalating after the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi last year.
