Christians Flee Northern Sinai Amid Airstrikes
The Egyptian air force has conducted airstrikes in northern Sinai Peninsula even as Coptic Christians continue to evacuate the region due to the threat of Islamic extremists. The bombings targeted the ISIS affiliate Wilayat Sayna which threatened to slaughter Christians that prompted their exodus.
An army spokesperson said on Tuesday at least four airstrikes were carried out that killed six militants. The bombings were aimed at underground tunnels connecting to the adjacent Palestinian Gaza Strip that is used by the jihadists. The Egyptian army claims to have destroyed six new tunnels last month.
Meanwhile the number of families that fled Sinai has reached 118. The evacuees came from the northern town of el-Arish and headed to Ismailia city on the Suez canal, 75 miles east of Cairo, where they sought refuge in churches. Some were provided government housing while others opted for private accommodation.
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The evacuation was prompted by a series of brutal killings against Christians in just a span of several weeks. Wilayat Sayna also released a 20-minute propaganda video last Sunday saying that Christians are their favorite "prey" while showing the bombing of St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, the seat of the Coptic papacy.
The families spoke of death lists compiled by militants that warn Christians to leave or die. "My father is the second name on their list; anyone Christian they put on the list," vegetable seller Munir Adel told Reuters. Unfortunately, his parents cannot joint the evacuation due to their old age. "They could be killed at any moment," he added.
Fox News compared the scale of the internal displacement to that of a natural disaster. It cited a priest who declined to be identified who said the number of people in the community of el-Arish which stood at 5,000 before 2011 is now down to less than 1,000.
