How Egypt unleashed 12 hours of airstrikes on Libya

CAIRO – 29 May 2017: The Egyptian air forces launched airstrikes on terrorist sites in east of Libya in retaliation to the terrorist attack at the Coptic Christians bus on Friday in Minya governorate in Upper Egypt.

Twenty-nine people were killed and at least 25 others injured after unknown gunmen opened fire at the bus, which was carrying more than 40 Coptic Christians, on Friday along the Western Desert Road in Minya, Upper Egypt, on Friday. The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group claimed its responsibility of the attack.

Few hours post the attack, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi asked the Egyptian Air Force Chief Air Marshal Younes Hamed to get ready for striking terrorists’ sites in Libya on Friday. Here are the uncovered details about the airstrikes according to Akhbar al-Youm newspaper on Monday.
• 5:30 pm: Sisi took the decision to hit the terrorist sites in Libya

• 6:00 pm: the first airstrike hit the terrorists

• 60 fighter-jets took part in that operation which are estimated to be more than one quarter of the Egyptian military jets

• The Egyptian airstrikes hit 15 sites inside Libya

• The military operation targeted Derna eastern Libya and al-Jafra central Libya

• The military operation took 12 hours since the first jet took off until it landed safely
in Egypt at 6 a.m. on Saturday

• The French Rafale fighter jets took part in that operation

• The military operation in Derna and Jafra will not be the last one targeting
terrorism, since it will strike terrorist strongholds wherever it was
• The military operation is still ongoing and it shall be extended

According to Akhbar al-Youm, terrorist groups, including outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, adopt many strategies against the Egyptian administration in the upcoming period as follows:
• Affecting banking and financial systems to hinder the exchange rate stability

• Driving wedges among the society’s components through targeting Copts’ institutions and buildings

• Assassination of political, military, judicial and media figures

• Targeting vital institutions such as national projects sites so as to abort potential foreign investments and to undermine the Egyptian image as a stable country capable of securing its people in front of the entire world