The terrorist attack against the mosque in Al-Rawda village in northern Sinai was the worst in Egypt's history. Though there have been earlier attacks against smaller mosques which contain Sufi shrines which many visit to seek blessings it was the first time a mosque packed with worshippers has been targeted. Egypt has faced a number of terrorist attacks since the early 1990s when armed Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya militants began a campaign against the state. Al-Gamaa and Jihad groups were active in Egypt for nearly a decade. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks against US targets in New York and Washington Al-Qaeda terrorist group became known internationally. Though its presence in Egypt remained limited Al-Qaeda has claimed a handful of attacks in Sinai. Following the 25 January 2011 Revolution which ended the 30-year-old rule of former President Hosni Mubarak terrorist attacks receded, though not for long. The fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in March 2011, and the collapse of Libya's army and state institutions, facilitated the smuggling of huge amounts of weapons from Libya to Egypt and the infiltration of terrorist operatives, including suicide bombers. The Islamic State (IS) emerged as an active terrorist group in Egypt following the removal of Mohamed Morsi as president on 3 July 2013. The group had already declared their so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. In the wake of Morsi's removal suspected Muslim Brotherhood members attacked and killed senior officials, including prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat, judges and police officers. They also targeted public utilities such as power grids. North Sinai remained the main front for the confrontation with Al-Qaeda and IS terrorists though attacks targeting police buildings, army and police officers and the Italian Consulate were claimed by the two groups in Cairo. A survey by Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies listed 1,165 terror attacks between 2014 and 2016. The attacks have continued into 2017, including the targeting of Copts in Tanta, Alexandria and Minya. On 11 December 2016 a suicide bomber blew himself up in a church on the site of St Mark's Cathedral in Abbaseya, killing 29 and injuring 47. Major terrorist attacks in Egypt since the late 1990s: Luxor Massacre 17 November 1997: Sixty-two people — 58 foreigners and four Egyptians — were shot in what became known as the Luxor massacre. Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya had repeatedly targeted tourists since launching a violent campaign against the state in an attempt to weaken the economy and deprive the government of vital tourism income. They also targeted top government officials including then president Hosni Mubarak, police and Coptic Christians. Taba Hilton 7 October 2004: Three terrorist attacks took place in Southern Sinai killing 34 people. The worst was a car bomb at the Taba Hilton which caused the building to partially collapse, killed 31 and injured 159. Of the 34 killed 18 were Egyptians, 12 from Israel, two from Italy, one from Russia and an Israeli-American. 23 July 2005: As Egyptians celebrated the anniversary of the 23 July 1952 Revolution, a national holiday, terrorists attacked a crowded bazaar in Sharm El-Sheikh with bombs and machine guns killing 88 people, the majority Egyptian, and injuring 150. 7 January 2010: After five years with no major attacks extremist groups resumed their targeting of Coptic Christian. As Copts were celebrating Orthodox Christmas armed gunmen opened fire on worshippers at the main church in Qena governorate's Nagaa Hamadi killing seven and wounding dozens. 1 January 2011: A suicide bomber blew himself up inside The Two Saints Church in Alexandria killing 23 people and wounding 100. Major attacks since the beginning of 2017: Alexandria 2011 1 January 2017: Eight policemen were killed in an attack on a police checkpoint in Al-Wadi Al-Gedid governorate in the Western Desert, close to the border with Libya. Al-Wadi Al-Gedid 9 April 2017: Suicide bombers attack churches in Tanta and Alexandria during Easter celebrations, killing 44 people. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi announced emergency laws, which remain in effect, following the attacks. Tanta 2017 26 May 2017: Suspected IS terrorists target buses carrying Coptic Christians on their way to visit a monastery in the desert close to Minya killing 26 people. 7 July 2017: Suspected IS terrorists attack an army post in Rafah, North Sinai, close to the border with Gaza, killing 26 soldiers. 11 September 2017: IS attacks a convoy of police vehicles killing 18. 12 October 2017: Police announce the death of six soldiers in an attack on a checkpoint in the North Sinai city of Arish. 20 October 2017: Following receipt of information that IS militants were hiding in the desert close to the road to Bahariya Oasis police move towards the hideout. On the way they are ambushed by terrorists who open fire, killing 16 policemen.
