Study suspended in N.Sinai amid army’s operation against militants

CAIRO - 9 February 2018: Study has been suspended in all North Sinai schools on Friday until further notice amid the Armed Forces’ full-scale operation against terrorists in the region, according to North Sinai governor ِAbdel Fatah Harhour.

The study in more than 500 schools have been halted across the governorate of about 465,000 people, as Egypt's Armed Forces launched a comprehensive military operation targeting the hotbeds of terrorists in North and Central Sinai on Friday, in a bid to purge terrorism from the country.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, a high state of alert has been declared in other areas such as the Egyptian Delta and the Western Desert.

“The army launched “Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018” to uproot terrorists across areas in North and Central Sinai, Delta and the Western Desert,” said Armed Forces spokesperson Tamer el-Refai in a televised statement.

On his official Twitter account, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said that he is proud of the Egyptian military and security forces, who are “purging Egypt’s precious land from terrorist elements.”

Sinai in particular has been a hotbed for militants operating in Egypt for decades. It is also believed to be home to the Islamic State’s Egyptian branch, which has been primarily targeting Christians and security forces in the area.