Egypt Mosque Attack: A Brief Analysis and Possible Consequences

DRK Snapshot

The Friday Pray bombing in Northern Sinai, Egypt will have consequences and start new alliances in the region. Even though the bombing has not been claimed by any terrorist organization yet, DAESH has been in the region since its declaration of Caliphate, and there was a former terrorist organization, Ansar Beyt Al-Maqdis, which turned into DAESH’s Wilayat Sinai. The Egyptian government has declared a state of emergency in the region to conduct military operations against terrorists for a while.

DAESH claimed to have shot down the Russian airplane, attacked tourists, Egyptian security forces, Coptic Churches and some local tribes that support the National government. However, it never has attacked Muslims or Mosques in the region before. The bombed Mosque was one of the religious places where Sufis, seen as heretics by DAESH, gather mostly. After the attack, Egyptian security forces closed the Arish-Rafah highway and Rafah Border Gate between Egypt and Palestine.

Egypt is known to be separated from the views of Saudi Arabia in Syria conflict that Egypt praises Russia’s effort to build peace in Syria and does not utter the removal of Assad eagerly. After the latest developments in the region, it can be assumed that the war will be carried towards Africa but will follow the Lebanon-Palestine road. After such an enormous bombing, Egypt will have to choose its side in the fight against terrorism on the eve of the Saudi-İran war. Egypt can be the leader of the fight against terrorism in the Northern Africa due to her population and military capacity, and this bombing will provide the impetus. It is helpful to remember how France faced terrorism when it separated the views of the international coalition and began to work with them. To sum up, this bombing can be called as the first flame of the emerging war on Africa.