On November 29, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the Egyptian Army to restore security in Sinai Peninsula within three months during a public speech, according to the British Daily Mail newspaper.
“Allow me to take this opportunity to commit General Mohamed Farid Hegazy, in front of you and all the Egyptian people: you are responsible for restoring security and stability in Sinai within three months, you and the interior ministry,” al-Sisi told the chief of staff of the Egyptian Army who was attending the speech, according to the report.
Al-Sisi also said that the Egyptian Army will use “complete brutal force” during its upcoming anti-terrorism operation in the Sinai Peninsula. However, the Egyptian president didn’t reveal any other details of the operation.
Al-Sisi’s order is likely a response to the terrorist attack on Al Rawdah mosque west of the city of El Arish in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on November 24. 305 civilians including 27 children were killed, and 128 others were injured in the brutal attack.
The Egyptian Army has been conducting anti-terrorism operations in Sinai Peninsula since 2013. However, ISIS is still powerful in Sinai thanks to the traffic from the Gaza strip.
If the Egyptian Army is planning to achieve the declared goal within 3 months what it couldn’t do in 4 years, it should consider taking extreme measures like intensifying its aerial campaign, tightening its grip along the border with Gaza and even deploying a much larger force in Sinai Peninsula.
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