This afternoon, Wednesday 19 April, Interior Ministry sources said that one of the terrorists who yesterday shot at a police checkpoint in Sinai killing one police officer and wounding four policemen had been shot dead by the police today. The police chased the terrorists once they fled, the source said, and found their hideout with help from the Sinai Bedouin.
The terrorist gunmen had yesterday, Tuesday 18 April, attacked security forces stationed at a checkpoint on the road leading to St Catherine’s Monastery on the foothill of Mount St Catherine’s. An Interior Ministry statement said the shooting took place some 800 metres from the monastery. The police shot back at the gunmen who fled; one of them left his automatic weapons behind because he had to help his wounded friends flee.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack. Even though the monastery was not touched, the proximity of the attack to the monastery was taken by many to mean it was the most recent in a string of attacks against Christians in Egypt. Sunday 9 April, which coincided with Palm Sunday, witnessed two suicide attacks against churches in Egypt; 46 lost their lives and scores were injured.
Watani contacted St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, which is affiliated to the Greek Orthodox Church. Father Gregorios said that the monks and monastery were all safe and sound; they had heard the gunshots but were not aware where they came from or what they indicated.
Watani International
19 April 2017