Arab states voice support to Egypt against terrorism after Arish attack

CAIRO – 6 June 2019: A number of Arab countries including Qatar, who Egypt has cut diplomatic ties with over "funding and harboring terrorists," condemned the terrorist attack on Wednesday against a security checkpoint in Egypt's North Sinai.

Arish attack claimed the lives of 8 policemen. Early on Thursday, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior said in a press statement that the security forces traced the perpetrators and killed 14 terrorists in a fire exchange.

Rejecting terrorism

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber sent a cable of condolences to Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, where he expressed his country's denouncement of such terrorist act that targeted innocent people and sought destabilizing the brotherly state of Egypt, KUNA reported.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad reiterated Kuwait's rejection of terrorism in all forms and its solidarity with the international community to drain the sources of terrorism and eliminate such phenomenon.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas decried the attack, affirming his country's "confidence in the determination of the Egyptian army and security forces to continue their mission to preserve security and stability in all parts of Egypt."

Abbas sent a cable of condolences to President Sisi, where he affirmed the Palestinian leadership and people's alignment with Egypt in their fight against terrorism.

Jordan also condemned the terrorist attack, which grieved Egyptians during their Eid al-Fitr (feast of breaking the fast) celebration.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sufian Qudah affirmed Jordan's solidarity with Egypt in the face of all forms of terrorism, voicing his country's confidence in Egypt's ability to preserve its security and stability, and beat terrorist gangs, Jordan News Agency (Petra) reported.

"The battle against terrorism is one and terrorism is a common enemy," Qudah said, affirming that "all efforts must be combined to defeat it and eliminate its darkness."

The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed support and solidarity with Egypt's "tireless efforts" to strengthen security and stability. It also affirmed rejecting terrorism whatever motives or justification it has.

Moreover, an official source in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the terrorist attack, according to the Saudi Press Agency, affirming support to Egypt's efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.

War 'not over'

President Sisi who has announced war against terrorism even before he assumed post as president in 2014, said in May that the "war against terrorism did not and will not end before we retaliate for every martyr who died for the sake of their homeland."

Since 2013, Egypt has witnessed numerous terrorist attacks, mainly by the Islamic State-affiliated Sinai Province militant group, which have led to the death of hundreds of policemen, army troops and civilians during attacks on security checkpoints, churches and recently a mosque.

Year 2013 marks the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi and the death of dozens of policemen and hundreds of Morsi supporters during the dispersal of pro-Morsi protests in Al-Nahda and Rabaa Al-Adaweya squares. The two parties hold each other responsible for the violence.

In February 2018, under the title "Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018", Egypt's Armed Forces launched a comprehensive military operation targeting the hotbeds of terrorists especially in Northern and Central Sinai. Despite announcing the death of dozens of terrorists from time to time since then, the army has not yet announced the end of the battle.