Egypt's Defense Minister Colonel General Sedki Sobhy stressed on Friday that terrorist attacks will not undermine the armed forces in its mission to eradicate terrorism and defend the country.
During his visit to a number of soldiers wounded in terrorist attacks in Sinai, the minister confirmed that the military will continue to protect the nation thanks to the valor of its members.
The army and police have since February 9 been waging a major security operation in northern and central Sinai to purge the region of militants and criminal elements.
Known as Operation Sinai 2018, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi instructed the army and the police to use "all force" to root out terrorism. An ISIS affiliate in Sinai has been behind the majority of terrorist attacks in Egypt.
On April 14, the terrorist organization claimed responsibility for an attack in northern Sinai that killed eight army members and injured 15 others.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian study said that "the justification of takfiri groups to commit terrorist acts in Egypt is primarily based on six main concepts.”
The Observatory of Takfiri Fatwas of Egypt's Dar Ifta said that the first concept is "governance", which dictates the nature of the relationship with the Egyptian state.
The second concept is "Jihad," which is the main excuse used by terrorists to commit their crimes. Based on this idea, the ISIS affiliate in Sinai views "the political system, Christians, the army and the police" as its enemy.
The third is "takfir and apostasy", which are accusations thrown against all who oppose the group.
"Repentance", according to the study, is the fourth concept of the so-called Sinai State. It is used mainly to attract members from categories it had previously deemed as apostate.
Accountability (“hisbah”) is the fifth concept, which is synonymous with the idea of promoting virtue and preventing vice.
The sixth concept, as stated in the study, is "loyalty and dissociation,” which calls for fighting infidels.
