Family members of security forces killed in Sinai on Friday react as they wait for the bodies of their relatives at Almaza military airbase in Cairo on Oct. 25.AL YOUM AL SAABI/Reuters
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El- Sisi said his administration is "taking measures" on the border with the Gaza Strip a day after militants killed more than 30 soldiers in Sinai.
El-Sisi, flanked by military commanders in a speech on national television, accused "external forces" he didn't identify of supporting the deadliest attack on Egyptian security forces in his five-month tenure. While vowing to retaliate against terrorism, he warned of more attacks to come in what he described as an "existential battle" for Egypt.
"There will be measures on the border area with the strip to deal with the root of this problem," said El-Sisi, who spoke with an angry tone at times during the brief address. The government closed the Rafah crossing with the coastal strip until further notice.
The remarks signal a possible escalation in Egypt's security offensive in Sinai, where attacks against the army and police have surged since El-Sisi led the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July last year. An increased clampdown on the border may further strain ties between Egypt and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group ruling the Gaza Strip and an offshoot of Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood group.
"Closing the border indicates Egypt is de-prioritizing the political relationship with Hamas and elevating security considerations," Ziad Akl, a senior researcher at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said in a phone interview Saturday. "I expect more radicalism in the government's discourse going forward."
Curfew Imposed
While Egypt helped broker a cease-fire agreement that ended a 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in August, security forces have dozens of tunnels on the border with Gaza, which the Palestinians say are used to funnel essential goods. Israel says the tunnels are also used to smuggle weapons.
Egypt declared a three-month state of emergency in parts of Sinai, including a night-time curfew, following two attacks on military checkpoints yesterday. Thirty-three soldiers were killed, the state-run Middle East News Agency said. A policeman was injured by gunfire in another attack in al-Arish today, Mena reported.
The al-Qaeda-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis has claimed responsibility for previous attacks in the region, including two bombings in September that killed 17 policemen.
Libya Weapons
El-Sisi, a former defense minister, has blamed the Brotherhood for much of the violence against security forces. The group denies the charge, saying it is focused on peaceful protests against its ouster from government after winning a series of elections.
Egyptian authorities have also expressed concern that militants are finding it easy to obtain weapons in neighboring Libya, which has slid into chaos amid feuds between rival armed groups since the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi in 2012.
The Sinai militants are receiving training from Islamic State, which may extend that support to other groups in Egypt, according to Anthony Skinner, head of analysis at U.K.-based risk forecasting company Maplecroft.
That, coupled with the availability of arms in Libya, means that "militant Islam is unlikely to be vanquished in the short or medium-term in Egypt," he said by e-mail.
The U.S. State Department condemned yesterday's attacks and expressed support for "the Egyptian government's efforts to counter the threat of terrorism."
The U.S. usually provides about $1.3 billion a year to Egypt's army, a longtime ally. It cut some deliveries this year because of the military's overthrow of an elected leader. Secretary of State John Kerry said in June that full aid would resume soon.