Country Report on Terrorism 2018 - Chapter 4 - Terrorist Safe Havens - Egypt

In 2018, ISIS-Sinai Province (ISIS-SP) used portions of Egypt’s Sinai region as a base to conduct attacks against military and civilian targets in the Sinai and mainland Egypt.  On April 14, ISIS-SP attacked an Egyptian Army camp in central Sinai, killing eight Egyptian soldiers.  On November 2, ISIS-SP attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians in mainland Egypt, killing seven and wounding at least 13.  A December 28 roadside bomb attack on a bus carrying Vietnamese tourists in Giza killed four and injured at least 11, but no group claimed responsibility for the attack.

In response to escalating ISIS-SP attacks, the Egyptian military launched its most recent and largest Sinai campaign against ISIS-SP in February 2018 with some success, but the tempo of the campaign slowed by mid-year.  Since July 2018, ISIS-SP began to reconstitute and increase its attacks to near pre-campaign levels.  Egyptian security forces face frequent small arms and IED attacks.  These repeated attacks indicate that ISIS-SP remains intent on expanding its influence and operations in the Sinai.

The United States supported Egypt’s efforts to combat ISIS-SP and other terrorist groups in Egypt by providing AH-64 Apache helicopters, mine-resistant and ambush-protected vehicles, counter-IED training, mobile sensor towers, and border security training programs.  The United States routinely engages in military-to-military discussions on how it can help Egypt defeat ISIS-SP and other terrorist groups in Egypt.  The United States remains concerned about the security situation in Sinai and the potential effects on the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission located there.

Through the Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, the United States worked with the Government of Egypt to enhance its border security capabilities.  EXBS funded land, air, and maritime border enforcement and risk management training for Egyptian Customs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Transportation, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials.  In addition, since 2009 the Department of State’s Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund has funded the provision of X-ray scanners to inspect cars and trucks at external and internal border crossings for WMD-related materials, conventional weapons, and other illicit items.

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