ICC Note: Egypt continues to fight terrorists and insecurity while its Christian community faces continued threats and attacks from Islamic extremists. Unfortunately, Christians often find themselves without protection or support from security forces. Christians regularly are the victims of abductions and find themselves without assistance in returning their loved ones and arresting those who are responsible.
10/31/2015 Egypt (Breitbart) – The administration of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has announced a three-month extension to a state of emergency it imposed on parts of the northern Sinai Peninsula as the country’s military launches counterterrorism operations against jihadists in the region.
Meanwhile, International Christian Concern (ICC), a Christian persecution charity, has accused the Egyptian government’s police units of complacency towards the abduction of Coptic Christians, which the organization argues has fostered a climate of impunity in Minya province where the kidnappings for ransom have spread.
Sinai Province, an affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), is based in the Sinai peninsula.
Hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and policemen have been killed by Islamists in Sinai since mid-2013, following the removal from power of Muslim Brotherhood Islamist President Mohamed Morsi led by then-military chief Sisi after mass protests against his rule.
“The state of emergency extension, announced by now President Sisi in a written decree on Wednesday, will be implemented in Rafah, al-Arish, Sheikh Zuweid and surrounding areas starting retroactively from Tuesday and also extends a night-time curfew,” reports Reuters.
“The measure was first introduced exactly one year ago after 33 security personnel were killed in an attack at a checkpoint in northern Sinai,” it adds. “It was extended by three months in January, April, and July.”
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