Egyptian Authorities Arrest 13 Suspected Terrorists Over Plans To Attack Christians
Egyptian authorities have arrested suspected terrorists over plans to attack Christian and public institutions, news reports say.
The Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement that they have arrested 13 "terrorist elements" who were preparing to attack both Christian and government institutions, the Middle East Eye reported. The men are believed to have been preparing attacks in four provinces in northern Egypt including Alexandria.
Egyptian security forces also found two farms that were being used to store weapons and make explosives, the interior ministry said. The farms are located in Alexandria and in the neighboring province of Beheira.
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The interior ministry announced this on Sunday, a week after the IS bombing attacks on two churches in Tanta and Alexandria, and just a few days after Egyptian security forces successfully shot down seven jihadists, believed to be ISIS militants, in a shootout in the Assuit province.
The seven jihadists were in a remote desert compound when the shootout happened. They reportedly shot at members of the security forces as they approached the compound.
Authorities named three of the seven jihadists who were killed in the gunfight: 30-year-old Hasan Abdel-Al Siddiq, an employee at the Directorate of Health; 21-year-old law student Islam Said Abdel Salam Ismail; and 22-year-old Mustapha al-Sayyed Muhammad Dhahr.
Discovered along with the seven men were machine guns, AK47 rifles, ammunition, a motorbike, and pads containing notes on the so-called Islamic State's power structure and written details of the group's plan of attack.
The seven jihadists, like the 13 that the authorities arrested recently, also planned on attacking both Christian and public institutions. They were planning on attacking a Christian monastery in Durunka, Christians in the Sohad and Assuit provinces, police officers, and government buildings.
Christian Resilience
After the Palm Sunday bombings that killed 45, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared a three-month state of emergency and a crackdown on extremists. This crackdown has led to the arrest of the 13 suspects and the shooting down of the seven.
Coptic Christians, despite the threats to their lives, showed strong resilience. A Twitter post from one Copt, @JHabashy15, showed that despite experiencing a traumatic bombing incident just a week ago, Christians in Tanta were still flocking to the church in celebration of Easter.
