Egypt’s Sawarka tribe declares war on terrorists in Sinai

CAIRO – 16 May 2017: The largest Bedouin tribe in the Sinai Peninsula, “Sawarka”, declared war on terrorists in the Peninsula, on Monday.

The tribe released a statement, vowing to support the Egyptian military and police in confronting the terrorist elements based in North Sinai.

“The Sawarka tribe believes that Daesh (the Islamic State-affiliate) in Sinai is part of a large takfiri project, which aims to destroy countries and split the region into smaller states,” the statement read.

Since 2013, State Security Forces, represented in both the army and the police, have been engaged in violent clashes with the militant Islamist insurgency, killing hundreds of terrorists, predominantly in North Sinai governorate.