Egypt's Sinai Emerges as New Theater for Jihad

(AP-Miami Herald) Maggie Michael - Ramzi Mawafi, 61, an Egyptian doctor once close to bin Laden who escaped from an Egyptian prison in 2011, is bringing together multiple al-Qaeda-inspired militant groups in Egypt's Sinai, Egyptian intelligence and security officials say. Sinai has seen an influx of foreign fighters over the past two months, including several hundred Yemenis, responding to religious edicts by clerics back home urging them to fight in Egypt. Egyptian officials say fighters have also come from Saudi Arabia, Libya and Syria. Since Morsi's ouster, more than 70 police and soldiers have been killed by militants. Over the same period, security forces have killed 87 militants, including 32 foreigners, and arrested 250 others, including 80 foreigners. Hit-and-run attacks targeting security forces take place nearly daily in northern Sinai.


2013-09-04 00:00:00

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