The recent
escalation of jihadi activity in the Sinai Peninsula has added a new
dimension to the geostrategic uncertainties of the post-Mubarak era.
Like the fallen regime, the Sinai served as a buffer in the cold peace
between the Egyptian and Israeli populations. With the Egyptian military
in the Sinai suffering its greatest personnel losses since the 1970s,
public anger has been channeled into loud calls to renegotiate the 1978
Camp David Accords to restore full Egyptian sovereignty over the peninsula.
However, senior Egyptian officials have remained quiet about the issue,
focusing their efforts instead on rooting out Salafi militants and
addressing the root causes of instability in Sinai and, to an extent,
the Gaza Strip as well.
Sixteen
Egyptian soldiers were killed on August 5 by Salafi militants en route
to the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Israel. The assailants were met
with resistance from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Bedouin
Reconnaissance Battalion before their stolen armored personnel carrier
was destroyed by an Israeli Air Force (IAF) strike inside Israeli
territory. Another pick-up truck ridden with explosives was blown up at
the border. Eight militants were killed in the attack, while an
estimated 27 retreated into Egypt (Jerusalem Post, August 6; Daily News Egypt, August 7).
In
response, President Muhammad Mursi launched “Operation Sinai,” calling
on security forces to “implement entire control” over the peninsula and
the northern towns of al-Arish, Rafah, and Shaykh Zuwayid. This was the
second major operation in the area since the revolution; an attack on
the al-Arish police station in August 2011 prompted the deployment of
two Special Forces brigades and 1,000 soldiers in a campaign dubbed
“Operation Eagle” (Bikya Masr [Cairo], August 16, 2011). Egypt’s
State Security Emergency Court issued 14 death sentences to members of
Tawhid wa’l-Jihad in connection with the Arish incident on September 24
(Ahram Online, September 24).
No comments:
Post a Comment