26 December 2017: Egyptian authorities executed 15 prisoners convicted of attacks on security forces in the restive Sinai Peninsula, police officials said. These brought which brought to at least 31 the number of executions through 2017.
The fifteen men were hanged in two jails where they had been held since military courts sentenced them for the attacks in the Sinai, where jihadists are waging an insurgency, the officials said.
It was the largest mass execution carried out in the North African country since six convicted jihadists were hanged in 2015.
The hangings come a week after the Islamic State group attacked a helicopter with an anti-tank missile at a North Sinai airport as the country’s defense and interior ministers were visiting.
The ministers were unhurt in the attack but an aide to the defense minister was killed along with a pilot.
Such executions comes along with the strategy announced in Nov 28th to restore full stability over the 1200 square kilometers of northern Sinai (1.5% of Sinai) within 3 months, after the mass killings committed, including the 315 civilians killed in the Al-Rawda Mosque last Nov 24th, as well as approx 130 civilians and soldiers killed in 9 incidents during the last 3 months
IS’s Egypt affiliate has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in attacks in the Sinai and also targeted civilians in the mainland.
Egyptian courts have sentenced hundreds to death over unrest since the military ousted divisive Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
But most defendants have appealed and won retrials.
No Comments