EGYPT: Gunmen kill Egyptian army officer and soldier in Nile Delta

Record ID: 353929

  • Title: EGYPT: Gunmen kill Egyptian army officer and soldier in Nile Delta
  • Date: 17th September 2013
  • Summary: *** EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES *** PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3 EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING SHARKIA PROVINCE, EGYPT (SEPTEMBER 17, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) BODY ON GROUND IN FRONT OF VEHICLE / BLOOD ON SIDE OF VEHICLE / BULLET HOLES IN THE REAR WINDSCREEN OF VEHICLE / BODY IN BACKSEAT
  • Embargoed: 2nd October 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3VWCRMK0CTO7AVKGV565RPYY6
  • Story Text: An Egyptian military officer and a soldier are killed by gunmen in the Nile Delta, raising concerns that an Islamist insurgency is taking hold beyond the Sinai.


    Gunmen killed an Egyptian military officer and a soldier in an attack on an army vehicle northeast of Cairo on Tuesday (September 17), security sources said, raising concerns that an Islamist insurgency is taking hold beyond the Sinai.
    The number of militant attacks has risen since the army deposed President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood on July 3, following mass protests against his rule.
    Most of the attacks on the army have been limited to the relatively lawless Sinai, near Israel and the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.
    Tuesday's attack, which also wounded an army officer and a soldier, took place in Sharkia province in the Nile Delta. The assailants, who were in a vehicle, opened fire with automatic weapons, security officials said.
    The army-backed government has been trying to restore security and create a sense of normality to bring back foreign investors and tourists to a country gripped by political upheaval since a revolt toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
    The Muslim Brotherhood emerged from the shadows to win elections, but millions of Egyptians became disillusioned with Mursi for giving himself sweeping powers and mismanaging the economy.
    Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who ousted Mursi, has emerged as the most popular figure in Egypt, a strategic U.S. ally, and his promises to fight terrorism have won over many Egyptians, who long for stability.
    Separately, one man was killed in clashes between supporters of Mursi and unknown people in the Suez Canal city of Port Said where rocks were thrown and machine guns and bird-shot were used, medical and security sources said.
    More than 100 members of the security forces have been killed in almost daily attacks in the Sinai since Mursi was toppled, some involving rockets. On Aug. 31, rocket-propelled grenades were fired at a vessel passing through the Suez Canal.
    The most spectacular operation so far was a suicide car bombing that hit Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim's convoy in Cairo two weeks ago.
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