Timeline of terrorist attacks on Egyptian worshippers 2016-2017

CAIRO – 25 November 2017: Terrorism has no borders, and targets everyone in the world. The Al-Rawdah Mosque attack in Al-Arish comes amid a series of aggressions carried out in Egypt and other countries leaving hundreds of innocent causalities.

Egypt Today sheds light on some of the terrorist attacks against both Muslims and Copts occurred in the past year. Terrorists have targeted security personnel, Muslims and Copts, and churches, alleging that they have sought so-called Jihad. This time, they killed Muslims during performing the Friday prayers including 27 children.

November 24, 2017- Al-Arish Attack:

In the town of Bir al-Abed in Al-Arish, North Sinai Governorate, around 30 militants waving with the black flag of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group attacked Al-Rawdah Mosque, leaving 305 dead and 128 injured.

The attackers, who used guns and bombs, attacked the mosque during the Friday prayers and killed 27 children, according to the state-owned news agency MENA.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi promised the terrorists must be “punished” and Egypt will defeat terrorism.

Several governments and world leaders issued condemnations of the attacks through official statements and posts on social media. Such countries included the United Kingdom, the U.S., France, Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Russia, Iraq and the European Union. World leaders expressed their support to Egyptian leadership in its combating terrorism campaign.

May 26, 2017 - Minya shooting:

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians to Samuel Monastery near the southern city of Minya, killing at least 28 people and wounding at least 29 others.

In the evening of the day of the attacks, President Sisi appeared on television to address the nation and announced he had ordered retaliatory attacks against terrorist training camps in neighboring Libya.

Media said fighter jets had conducted six strikes against sites in the vicinity of the port city of Derna, where the militants responsible for the attack are believed to have trained. A second wave of airstrikes was launched the following day, May 27.

On May 29, 2017, a spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA) confirmed that Egypt and the LNA had cooperated in targeting locations in Derna as well as Jufra with 15 airstrikes launched.

April 9, 2017- Palm Sunday church bombings:

On Palm Sunday, 9 April 2017, twin suicide bombings took place at St. George’s Church in the northern Egyptian city of Tanta on the Nile delta, and Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, the principal church in Alexandria, seat of the Coptic papacy. At least 45 people were reported killed and 126 injured.

The IS claimed responsibility for the attack that took the lives of 44 individuals and injured more than 100, Reuters reported.

December, 11 2016- Botroseya Church bombing:

A bombing at a chapel adjacent to Egypt's main Coptic Christian cathedral in Cairo claimed by IS killed 30 people and injured dozens others during Sunday Mass.

In statements following the attack, President Sisi indentified the attacker as 22-year-old Mahmoud Shafiq Mohammed Mustafa, who had worn a suicide vest. IS claimed responsibility for the attack.