Egypt army set to launch hostage rescue mission

Cairo: Egyptian security forces were preparing Monday to launch a rescue operation “soon” to free seven kidnapped soldiers and police officers in the Sinai peninsula, security sources told Gulf News.

A large plane carrying soldiers and heavy military equipment landed at Al Arish airport Sunday night in preparation for the attack on “terrorist groups,” the sources said on the condition of anonymity.

Egypt’s military has also called in a “Special Forces” unit as Cairo refuses to negotiate with the kidnappers.

“Armoured personnel carriers moved east on Monday over the Suez Canal towards North Sinai. They later arrived in the North Sinai town of Al Arish, accompanied by the commander of Egypt’s second field army,” the sources added.

A military official said the extra military forces were dispatched to North Sinai after a meeting on Sunday between the army command and President Mohammad Mursi, who has promised not to submit to blackmail by kidnappers demanding the release of jailed Islamists.

A video posted on YouTube on Sunday appeared to show the seven hostages, blindfolded and with their hands on their heads, identifying themselves.

One of them is prodded by what appears to be a rifle held by an abductor off screen before another hostage says the kidnappers want the release of detained Bedouin “political activists”.

He mentioned by name a Bedouin militant sentenced to death after a 2011 attack on a police station in the north Sinai town of Al Arish.

“We hope that you, president, quickly release the political activists from Sinai as soon as possible because we can no longer stand the torture,” said one hostage.

The video, posted online by an anonymous account, was later removed from YouTube, which posted a message saying it violated its “policy on violence”.

One of the hostages in the footage bears a strong resemblance to a hostage in a picture held by relatives who joined the police protest at the Rafah border crossing.

The policemen, who worked at border crossings, and soldiers were kidnapped at gunpoint while travelling to their homes on leave.

Egyptian presidential spokesman Omar Amer on Monday asserted that Egypt would deal “decisively” with the recent kidnapping of the seven Egyptian security officials.

Amer went on to describe current Egyptian military deployments in the restive peninsula as “standard, considering the current situation.” He also described the video as “disgraceful”, adding “we are currently preparing to reply to this video strongly and decisively.”

Attacks on police and soldiers in the sparsely populated peninsula have surged since an uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, as have cross-border attacks on Israel.

The north of the peninsula is underdeveloped and has become a haven for Islamist militants, unlike the south which is dotted with beach resorts.

Security sources, meanwhile, told Gulf News also that Egyptian authorities seized 16 African migrants trying to cross into Israel near the Karem Abu Salam crossing on Monday.

“The detained migrants including an Egyptian citizen, eight migrants from Eritrea, five Sudanese and two Ethiopians,” the sources said.

They were all referred to investigation and are being held at Al Arish central prison.

More than 60,000 Africans have entered Israel on foot in recent years seeking work or refuge. Most face an arduous journey across the Sinai peninsula and often face physical abuse and torture at the hands of human traffickers.

— The writer is a journalist based in Cairo