'Sinai 2018': Egypt's knockout against terrorism

CAIRO – 9 February 2018: Earlier Friday, Egyptian Security Forces launched a comprehensive and strategic confrontation, Sinai 2018, against terrorist hotbeds and criminal organizations in North Sinai, Central Sinai, Egypt's Delta, Nile Valley and the Suez Canal’s surrounding. Egypt Today provides you with a briefing on operation Sinai 2018.

What is operation Sinai 2018?

Operation Sinai 2018 comes within the framework of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s mandate to the General Commander of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Interior, according to Army spokesperson Tamer el-Refai's Facebook page. Sisi previously informed the General Commander of the Armed Forces that he is responsible to secure Egypt from terrorism, as well as drying funding paths and unravelling connections that enable terrorist attacks in Egypt, in three months.

Sisi commanded that a full and complete crack down on terrorism be carried out within three months from his mandate and that full coordination is needed between all the country’s institutions to confront terrorism and all other related operations by extremists.



Sinai 2018 is a strategic operation, meaning that it does not simply aim to crack down on terrorist hotbeds. The operation aims to crack down on terrorist in North and Central Sinai, ensure the control of Egypt’s external ports, and to ensure the achievement of the goals planned to clear areas where there are terrorist hotbeds or groups. This is all with the aim to immunize the Egyptian society from the evils of terrorism and extremism, parallel with other crimes affecting the security and internal stability. The overall aim of this operation is to secure Egypt and Egyptian citizens from terrorism and dry terrorist resources, connections and links.



Despite the operation starting in North and Central Sinai, it also includes Egypt's Delta and the Nile Valley, the navigational course of the Suez Canal, the borders of Egypt’s naval space and, to a lesser extent, the rest of Egypt.

Moreover, to secure the vital facilities to the security of the state and the national projects, as well as water, power plats and places of worship, during this strategic operation, full security measures have been taken. Security has also been enhanced at public squares and inside all governorates. Rapid intervention units are ready for immediate deployment in case of any threat to civilians.



To execute the plan, the Egyptian Armed Forces and Police have raised a state of high alert across different governorates.

Sisi is watching the operation closely, despite being abroad
Earlier today, Sisi tweeted and posted on Facebook that he is watching closely the military operations “with pride.”


“I follow in pride the heroic acts of my sons in the armed forces and the police to purge the precious land of Egypt from terrorist elements who are the enemies of life ... And always # long live Egypt,” El-Sisi said on his official Twitter account.

أتابع بفخر بطولات أبنائى من القوات المسلحة والشرطة لتطهير أرض مصر الغالية من العناصر الإرهابية أعداء الحياة .. ودائماً #تحيا_مصر

— Abdelfattah Elsis(@AlsisiOfficialFebruary 9, 2018

Al Azhar supports operation Sinai 2018
In a Friday statement, Al-Azhar Institute expressed its full support of operation Sinai 2018.

“Al-Azhar calls upon all the Egyptian people to support our brave armed forces and security men in confronting these terrorist and criminal elements, which terrorized innocent citizens,” Al-Azhar said in its statement.

Al-Azhar praised the courage of Army and Police personnel and their continued efforts to “make precious sacrifices for the sake of spreading security in all parts of Egypt.”