The Jerusalem post Arab world: Egypt's dangerous stalemate Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is fighting for his country's survival – and his own. Islamic terrorism is not abating, hampering vital efforts to bring a better life to the people through a revitalized economy and political stability. Sisi knows he has to show results soon to prevent Egypt from slipping back into anarchy and chaos. Despite the army's all-out effort to defeat Islamist insurgency in Sinai, there is no end in sight. F-16 fighter planes and Apache helicopters have joined the campaign, security forces have killed or wounded hundreds of terrorists, destroying their haunts and their training groups – but more keep coming. Read more: http://www.jpost.com/International/Arab-world-Egypts-dangerous-stalemate-398383 Al Monitor Egypt discovers record-length smuggling tunnel "Tunnels are gates for terrorism and external support of terrorism from Gaza to Sinai," security expert Maj. Gen. Khalid Okasha said when asked about the news of the buffer zone expansion on the border between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. The news came after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — temporarily in charge of the legislative power until the election of parliament — issued a law on April 12 to maximize to life imprisonment (25 years) the penalty of digging tunnels linking the Egyptian border to any other state. Also, using such tunnels or being aware of their existence without reporting them is to be punished. The importance of the buffer zone expansion is becoming clear in light of the armed forces' announcement on March 29 of the discovery of a secret tunnel connecting Gaza to Sinai and stretching along 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) into Egyptian territory. This tunnel is the longest tunnel yet to be discovered by the armed forces. Nasser Khaled, an infrastructure expert and soil mechanical engineer, told Al-Monitor that digging such a tunnel requires modern equipment and a large number of workers to dig either in rocks or loose land. He said the process takes four to five months, while the average cost of the required equipment is no less than about 10 million Egyptian pounds ($1.3 million). Khaled said that most of the manufacturers of such equipment do not authorize sales except to states and major engineering and construction companies. He added that the primitive or manual drilling of such tunnels may take years. Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/04/egypt-sinai-gaza-tunnels-sanctions-sisi-terrorist.html#ixzz3XdqrHwu0 Herald Recorder Egypt: 13 killed as ‘Northern Sinai' attacks target security forces 13 killed as ‘Northern Sinai' attacks target security forces. Northern Sinai has witnessed a series of complex and successful attacks targeting Egyptian security forces, many of which have been claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group. Twitter accounts affiliated with the group claimed responsibility for the Sunday attacks. Read more: http://www.heraldrecorder.org/breaking/egypt-13-killed-as-northern-sinai-attacks-target-security-forces-2015483/ Times Live Briton murdered in Egypt's temple city An Egyptian man was arrested after the body of the 61-year-old Briton was found in a garbage bag on a road leading to Luxor airport, police said. A police officer said the Egyptian man had allegedly confessed to the killing, saying he murdered the Briton "over a financial dispute". The British national had been living in Luxor for several years. His body was found earlier this week. A British embassy spokesperson confirmed "the death of a British national in Luxor, Egypt", without naming him or giving details. Read more: http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2015/04/17/briton-murdered-in-egypt-s-temple-city
