Sinai Attack: Egyptian Ambassador Assures of Victory over Terrorism

Urges Nigeria to stand up with Egypt against the vice

Assem Mohammed Hanafi, has assured that his country and Nigeria will ultimately prevail over terrorism, even as he urged…

The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Nigeria, Assem Mohammed Hanafi, has assured that his country and Nigeria will ultimately prevail over terrorism, even as he urged Nigeria to rise up in the war against the deadly scourge.

The ambassador gave the assurance in a series of tweets at the weekend following the coordinated terror attacks that killed 305 persons and left many others injured.

The attack which occurred in Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed, west of El Arish, the main city in North Sinai on Friday, is said to be the deadliest terror attack in Egypt in recent times.

Hanafi compared the Sinai attack to the 2014 attack in Kano State, in which terrorists exploded bomb in a mosque and shot those trying to escape from the blast and the recent attack in Mubi, Adamawa state northeast Nigeria, which collectively killed over 500 Nigerians.

“Egypt and Nigeria will stand together against the evil acts of terrorism and we shall ultimately prevail,” Hanafi said, adding that both countries must stand in solidarity.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, in a condolence message to the government and people of Egypt over the heartless attacks on the Sinai mosque condemned the dastardly act on innocent worshippers.

He reiterated his call for a global collaboration which includes intelligence sharing as panacea to such mindless and irresponsible attacks on innocent citizens.

Egyptian state media had reported the killing of more than 305 people at a mosque in North Sinai by terrorists who detonated a bomb and gunned down worshippers as they tried to escape from the blast.

Worshippers were finishing Friday prayers at the mosque when a bomb exploded, witnesses said. Around 40 terrorists set up positions outside the mosque with jeeps and opened fire from different directions as people tried to escape, the report said.

Though no group immediately claimed responsibility, however, the attacks were suspected to have been carried out by the Islamic State and their affiliates in the region.