Country Reports on Terrorism 2022: Egypt

Egypt

OVERVIEW:  Egypt saw a decrease in terrorist activity in 2022, compared with previous years.  Egypt is committed to counterterrorism (CT) and CVE.  The nation continued military and social development campaigns in North Sinai, where a degraded ISIS-Sinai Province (ISIS-SP) targeted security forces, pro-government Bedouin groups, and civilians.  ISIS-SP struck near the Suez Canal four times, including in the first terrorist attack on Egyptian soil west of the canal since 2019.  There were not confirmed numbers for civilian, military, and terrorist casualties, given security constraints in North Sinai and limited media and government reporting.  The government reported that it spent $224 million through 2020 on compensation for property damaged in CT operations and economic development to support North Sinai residents.

2022 Terrorist Incidents:  Based on government press releases and media reporting, at least 95 terrorist incidents occurred in the Sinai Peninsula, with roughly 260 casualties, in 2022.  ISIS-SP claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.  The methodology for the attacks included small arms, IEDs, kidnappings, killings, complex assaults, ambushes, and targeted assassinations.  There was a significant decrease in the number, frequency, and severity of IEDs and sniper attacks, and fewer complex operations with large-scale casualties against Egyptian security forces.  Opportunistic attacks led to most security force casualties.  While most attacks occurred in northeast Sinai, there were four attacks near the Suez Canal, including one attack west of the canal.

• On March 28, ISIS-SP alleged sniper attacks, killing two Sinai Tribal Union militiamen: a rocket-propelled grenade attack on an army checkpoint near Rafah, and a separate IED attack near Sheikh Zuweid.
• In May, ISIS-SP claimed responsibility for attacks at an outpost near Rafah and near a water pumping station near the Suez Canal that together killed or wounded 26 Egyptian security personnel.
• On November 18, ISIS-SP attacked the town of East Qantara, killing seven Egyptian soldiers. ISIS-SP claimed responsibility for the attack.
• On December 31, ISIS-SP claimed responsibility for a checkpoint attack in Ismailia that killed four Egyptian security personnel and wounded 16.

ISIS-SP was the only group to publicly claim responsibility for terrorist attacks in Egypt during 2022.  Local security services were aware of attempts by unknown individuals to target churches and infrastructure across the year.

Egyptian security operations continued to degrade ISIS-SP, including by killing midlevel ISIS-SP leader Hamza al-Zamili in August.  The government continued to target terrorists through military operations and limited airstrikes in the Sinai Peninsula, largely in unpopulated areas.

The United States supported Egypt’s efforts to combat ISIS-SP with mine-resistant and ambush-protected vehicles, counter-IED training, mobile sensor towers, special operations training, air-to-ground integration, and border security.  The United States routinely engages in bilateral discussions regarding strategies to defeat ISIS-SP and other terrorist groups in Egypt, including by mitigating the risk of civilian harm and encouraging credible investigation into any allegations of human rights violations and abuses by the Egyptian government.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security:  There were no significant changes since the government ended the nationwide state of emergency in October 2021, which had been in effect since 2017 (and previously during 1981-2012).  While the national state of emergency ended in 2021, laws ratified by President Sisi that same year codified many emergency powers into the criminal law.  Other laws give the government special powers in North Sinai where CT operations are focused.  Human rights groups reported that the government continued to use CT authorities to pursue activists, political candidates, and critics of the government.  The government has proactively detected, deterred, and prevented terrorist attacks along the Nile Basin, within tourist areas and cultural sites, and against critical infrastructure.

At border crossings and airports, authorities continued to authenticate travel documents, conduct checks on individuals, and share derogatory information among border authorities for further action.  Egypt maintains a terrorist watchlist used by immigration officials at ports of entry with detailed information maintained by the security services.  Individuals are placed on the terrorism list for five years by court order, subject to appeal.  The United States assisted Egypt’s counterterrorism efforts with training, equipment, and other assistance to its law enforcement and armed forces.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism:  Egypt is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force, and its FIU, the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit, is a member of the Egmont Group.

Countering Violent Extremism:  The Ministry of Endowments and the Ministry of Education condemned extremism and promoted respect and moderation.  Analysts from al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism worked in 13 languages to find and debunk online propaganda from ISIS and other violent extremist groups as well as examples of Islamophobic rhetoric.

International and Regional Cooperation:  Egypt is a member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and co-chairs the GCTF with the EU.  Egypt hosts a regional counterterrorism center for Sahel-Saharan states.  The country is party to several international, Arab, and African CT cooperation agreements and protocols.