As the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a report on Cairo's efforts to combat terrorism, social media pioneers questioned the continuation of armed clashes in Sinai, the most recent of which was the attack yesterday on an ambush by the army forces in the village of Raba, in the area of Bir al-Abd, north Sinai.
The pioneers of the communication sites shared photos and videos of the armed clashes in the village of Rabaa, especially photos that some said belonged to gunmen roaming the area freely after the attacks ended.
Individuals denounced the army's delay in clarifying the circumstances of the accident despite the passage of about 10 hours of broadcasting videos and pictures, as well as the distress of the villagers, and calls for the youth of the village to donate blood due to cutting off the road and the inability of the people of the neighboring villages to donate.
Late yesterday evening, the military spokesman issued a statement in which he indicated that the armed forces had succeeded in repelling an attack on a security base in the Bir al-Abd area using four vehicles, noting that the army was chasing the attackers inside a farm and some unoccupied houses, killing 18 Of the gunmen, two of the army and wounded four others.
what happened?
According to local newspapers, an eyewitness from the village said that the attackers entered the village from the south, wearing paramilitary clothes, some were masked, some of them were riding motorcycles, others were in small transport vehicles and carrying multiple weapons and RPG launchers, while others carried explosive devices.
One resident - who preferred not to be named - said that they lived more than an hour and a half in a climate of war and terror, especially as they watched the gunmen roam the streets with their weapons and motorcycles, and that they, as civilians, are not accustomed to this scene, especially as their homes are very close to the targeted security headquarters.
Witnesses in the vicinity of the area said that the attack started with a clash between gunmen and individuals to secure the armed forces camp located in the village of Rab'a, while a car bomb attempted to reach the camp gate, before it exploded in the village's commercial street, close to the camp gate, and another car bomb arrived inside The camp's security focal point, located on the international road.
# Military_ Spokesman: Terrorist attack foiled in North Sinai ... pic.twitter.com/eqFOb20rsV
- Military Spokesperson (@EgyArmySpox) July 21, 2020
The residents recorded observations of the arrival of warplanes in the air, while explosions were heard in the direction of the southern desert back of the village of Rabaa. The pursuit operations also affected the organization’s members, even in the Qatiya, Qatawiyyah and Qasrawit villages, surrounding Rabaa.
The security forces closed the international coastal road as well as the Suez Canal ferryboats after the attack, which led to the accumulation of hundreds of travelers, and there were widespread calls to host the stranded until the roads and the Suez Canal ports were reopened.
In a statement, the private Sinai University also invited its traveling and stranded students to overnight in the university residence in the university branch in Qantara Sharq, at the expense of the university.
The Egyptian authorities cut off the electrical supplies, communication networks, and the Internet in a fourth village after the withdrawal of the armed elements.
Also canceled a visit that was supposed to be made by the governor of North Sinai, Major General Mohamed Abdel-Fadil Shousha, to the Nakhl Center in central Sinai, to open service projects, and media workers in the governorate were postponed.
Anger and questions
Yesterday, the two websites, "Bir al-Abd" and "Sinai", were issued to the media, amidst the outcry of those telling of the continued attacks by the militants, despite the repeated promises of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to eliminate the militants in the Sinai.
Most of the anger of social media pioneers, the circulation of a video showing the wandering of gunmen in the village after the clashes ended, and some questioned the secret of the lack of support of the army forces during the period of the clashes, as well as the arrival of the warplanes late as usual.
Pictures of the perpetrators of the attack on the # Bir_Abd al-Abd attack taken by a citizen. The photos show the armed elements roaming freely during the attack on the ambush.
Vandalism, destruction, and failure continue!
And Ayez throws the joys of Akbad # Egypt in Libya!
Ok, eliminate the chaos in # Sinai before our army gets involved in # Libya pic.twitter.com/9MOvnUpQMl
- Muhammad Jamal Hilal (@gamal_helal) July 21, 2020
What do you think that makes the terrorists clear? They think that they are walking like this, while they are going to attack the ambush of the Bir al-Abd in the heart of Sinai, and they are not afraid or worried about anything. Ic pic.twitter.com/RoNX2TGct6
- mohamed 💪abdelrahman👈 (@ mohamed041977) July 21, 2020
Eyewitnesses and tribal sources said
that terrorist elements, including suicide bombers, attacked an army camp in a fourth village
and clashes took place with heavy weapons
and tongues of fire were seen extensively in the vicinity of the place
and the army forces managed to liquidate a number of terrorist elements. # Bir_Abd al-😔 Rabih
village after the explosion pic.twitter.com / SyQDjxP9YX
- ℕ𝕆𝕆𝔻𝕐𝔼𝕃𝕊𝕀𝕊𝕀_2020 (@ 900zxc900zxc) July 21, 2020
Horrific scenes of destruction left by the terrorist attack yesterday on the village of Rab'a # Bir_Abd al-Sinai # Sinai pic.twitter.com/5rCrNjdlBZ
- Ahmed Salem (@ AhmedSalem83) July 22, 2020
On the other hand, supporters of Sisi circulated a video, which they said was the military forces' response to yesterday's attacks.
However, the Sanad Monitoring and Verification Unit in the Al-Jazeera Network, verified from the rolling section, and it turned out to be old, as it was published last June by the Berkane Fury Media Account, and documents the Libyan government of Al-Wefaq's response to two mechanisms of retired Major General Khalifa Hifter’s forces south of Tripoli.
Monsters fourth ambush, may
God grant victory to the people of truth # Bir_al-Abd pic.twitter.com/joaC9s0tXg
- Mahmoud Elashry (@ 7oda277) July 22, 2020
This comes at a time when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a report on Egypt's efforts in combating terrorism in coordination with the ministries and relevant state agencies.
Ambassador Ehab Fahmy, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the International Counter-Terrorism Unit, said that this report is the first of its kind to document the efforts of the Egyptian state and its national institutions and the various tools it possesses to "combat terrorism".
Fahmy explained that the report also highlights the pioneering role Egypt plays in "fighting terrorism" at the regional and international levels, he said.