Terrorist attack in Sinai leaves Egyptians in mourning
Saudi Arabia reaffirms its support for Egypt in its war against terrorism
The terrorist attack in
Sinai on Thursday, which killed or wounded 10 Egyptian soldiers, has been condemned by the government and the public, which viewed the victims as martyrs.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the attack. It reaffirmed the Kingdom’s full solidarity with Egypt and its support for Egypt in its war against terrorism.
News of the attack, in which an explosive device detonated under an armored vehicle in the city of Bir El-Abed in the North Sinai governorate, left many Egyptians in mourning for the lives lost. Their condolences were posted on the various social media platforms. The hashtags “Sinai” and “homeland’s martyrs” were trending on Twitter as soon as the news of the attack broke and remained so throughout the following day.
Social media users mourned the deaths of the armed forces members.
Many commented on the irony that the attack was launched while TV viewers were watching the Ramadan series “The Choice,” which tells the story of a real Egyptian armed forces hero who was killed in a Sinai terrorist attack. “We live what we watch! So heartbreaking,” one Twitter user said.
“While the world is facing the coronavirus, Egypt faces the virus, terrorism and external extremism,” expressed another.
Others put faces and names to those who lost their lives in the attack. Friends and acquaintances of the victims used their platforms to give people images from their lives. “Just two months ago I was congratulating you on your engagement,” an acquaintance of one of the soldiers said in a tweet that quickly drew the attention of hundreds on the platform.
“May God grant your family and loved ones the patience to keep going.”
“History repeats itself,” 61-yearold Aida Abdel-Aziz said. She said that such attacks were not uncommon, and that the best way to honor those who were killed was to keep praying for them.
For years, Egypt has been fighting a low-level terrorist insurgency in Sinai which sometimes spills into the major cities.
“The people of Egypt need to keep their heroes in their prayers and keep their mourning families in their prayers as well,” Abdel-Aziz.
She added that the more such attacks are repeated, “the more the public could grow desensitized as their empathy for the lost souls decreases.
“So it is important to not let that happen and to have the martyrs go down in history for their heroic actions. It is significant not to have their lives lost in vain. They deserve to be honored,” she said.
FASTFACT
News of the attack in which an explosive device detonated under an armored vehicle in the city of Bir El-Abed in the North Sinai governorate, left many Egyptians in mourning for the lives lost.