MP calls for banning 4X4 vehicles in border zones

CAIRO – 22 October 2017: Member of Parliament (MP) Motaz al-Najjar demanded on Sunday a decree be issued to ban the use and presence of 4X4 vehicles in border zones on Sunday. The ban is a preventative measure against future terrorist attacks on the army and security forces.

“Since we have a state of emergency, I request to include banning all permits of 4X4 vehicles and their presence in the border zones,” MP Najjar said in his proposal at the parliament’s plenary session. He referred also to vehicles that carry weapons, ammunition, and smuggled materials into Egypt.

In February, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree to ban motorcycles from restive areas in central and north Sinai for a year. Earlier in July 2015, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab issued a decree banning the use of all types of 4X4 vehicles in army-operations zones in north and south Sinai. The ban came into effect in September 2015. On October 4 security forces announced that 4x4 vehicles will not be allowed in Sinai unless the driver obtains a permit issued by either the Military Intelligence of the Armed Forces Operations Authority.

The director of South Sinai Security, Madgi Mousa, said that the decision applies to all vehicles and security checkpoints will not allow the crossing of any 4X4 cars without the necessary permission, according to el-Watan news.

Later on October 11, following objections from Sinai residents who use 4X4 and other sports utilities vehicles (SUVs) for transportation in the desert-warren peninsula, the security forces lifted the ban for registered vehicles.

Terrorists have used 4X4 vehicles in repeated attacks on army and security forces, leading to the killing of dozens of army and police personnel. The army has also announced the killing of hundreds of militants in different areas in Egypt, especially in Sinai.

On Saturday at least 17 Egyptian policemen were killed in a terrorist attack in Egypt’s western desert. The Ministry of Interior issued a statement reporting the killing of 15 militants involved in the attack and announced they were searching the area for fleeing militants. The ministry urged media outlets to validate information before sharing it to the public to avoid unwanted repercussions.