Egyptian novelists, poets, and artists praised Tuesday the army's air raids on IS sites in Libya and condemned the mass murder of 21 Egyptian Copts by IS. Writer and novelist, Youssef Al Kaied told Al Bawaba news that people should support this patriotic action, which he described as a quick and strong reaction to preserve the citizen's right and dignity. Poet, Abdel Moneim Talimh said that the air raids were necessary to "restore people's trust in the state," advising the army to conduct more air strikes against IS. Poet Bahia Talb expressed her grief and sorrow for the mass killings in Libya, saying: "it was the worst day of my life, spilling the blood of innocent people who went to Libya to earn a living is a cruel act." Novelist Hamdi Abujalil also said that what happened was a major tragedy for all Egyptians and had a strong impact on the nation. He blamed all political Islam factions, including IS, Al-Nusra Front and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) for this tragedy. Contemporary artist, Mohamed Abla said Egypt has been at war against terrorism ever since the fall of the MB. He added that the air raids were necessary to calm the people. Egyptians must understand that the country is combating terrorism on several fronts, both abroad and internally.
