Image source: topwar.ru
The Egyptian armed forces are changing the strategy of fighting jihadist groups after several terrorist attacks carried out against the country's army in recent days. Such a conclusion can be drawn from the official statement of the Egyptian Armed Forces, which was made after the terrorist attack prevented on May 7 in western Sinai, as a result of which an officer and 10 soldiers were killed. Militants from the extremist organization Islamic State (ISIL)* claimed responsibility for the sabotage.
In recent years, the Egyptian army has mainly relied on local tribes belonging to the so-called Union of Sinai Tribes in the fight against the terrorists of the Sinai Vilayat (a division of ISIS *). The organization includes most of the Sinai tribes, its main task is to fight extremist organizations on the peninsula and provide logistical support to the Egyptian army in Sinai.
The main problem that prevents the Sinai association from effectively resisting Islamic militants is the fragmentation of tribes and the clan struggle for influence within the organization.
— writes the pan-Arab news agency Al-Arabi al-Jadid.
Tribal disunity makes it difficult to coordinate the actions of the anti-terrorist organization. Each tribe tries to act independently on its territory and does not allow allied armed formations to enter controlled areas. The ineffectiveness of such a strategy to combat extremists is confirmed by the recent increase in terrorist attacks against the Egyptian army.
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi held a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and called on the Egyptian army to "complete the cleansing of some areas of North Sinai from terrorists and Takfiri [extremists]." After that, the Egyptian Armed Forces intensified military operations against terrorists in Sinai, including with the use of aviation. At the same time, the Egyptian army does not plan to completely abandon cooperation with the Union of Sinai Tribes.
— the adviser of the Higher Military Academy named after him told the online publication Al-Monitor.Nasser (Cairo) Nasr Salem.
Salem also noted that the recent actions of the Egyptian army in the Sinai Peninsula have led to a reduction in the number of terrorist attacks. But at the same time, Cairo will continue to actively cooperate with local tribes in order to "clear Sinai of terrorist outposts and accelerate the pace of development of the region," Salem said.
*A terrorist organization banned in Russia.
