By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Japan's Nikkei ends higher, gains capped amid continued concerns over global financial crisis
    Japan’s Nikkei ends higher, gains capped amid continued concerns over global financial crisis
    March 27, 2023
    European Commission VP visits Egypt to discuss education, mobility, and migration issues
    European Commission VP visits Egypt to discuss education, mobility, and migration issues
    March 27, 2023
    Developers have to offer innovative products, state should provide more facilities to stimulate industry: Kareem Mamoun
    Developers have to offer innovative products, state should provide more facilities to stimulate industry: Kareem Mamoun
    March 27, 2023
    Tabarak Holding launches 4 exhibitions in Gulf region for Egyptian property export
    Tabarak Holding launches 4 exhibitions in Gulf region for Egyptian property export
    March 27, 2023
    Eight Developments, Gaballah Group sign contract with Mission 235 for Revolve Mall management
    Eight Developments, Gaballah Group sign contract with Mission 235 for Revolve Mall management
    March 27, 2023
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    China’s president Xi met with the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in 2017. Reuters/Alamy
    China’s latest diplomatic move will extend its trade, energy, financial and maritime power
    March 27, 2023
    Saudi Arabia, to the surprise of many, chose China to broker its deal with Iran in March 2023. Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Image
    As longterm partnership with US fades, Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its diplomacy – and recent deals with China, Iran and Russia fit this strategy
    March 27, 2023
    Mass Israel protests after Netanyahu fires defence minister
    Israeli PM calls for calm amid turmoil over government’s judicial overhaul
    March 27, 2023
    Somalia says army kills over 3,000 Al-Shabab militants in 6 months
    Somalia says army kills over 3,000 Al-Shabab militants in 6 months
    March 27, 2023
    Afghan security forces discover IS weaponry in northern province
    Afghan security forces discover IS weaponry in northern province
    March 27, 2023
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Developers have to offer innovative products, state should provide more facilities to stimulate industry: Kareem Mamoun
    Developers have to offer innovative products, state should provide more facilities to stimulate industry: Kareem Mamoun
    March 27, 2023
    Government should help Egyptian arts revive its pioneering role: Omar Abdel Aziz
    Government should help Egyptian arts revive its pioneering role: Omar Abdel Aziz
    March 15, 2023
    Interconnected healthcare systems in Africa require political will from North African leaders: Amref official
    Interconnected healthcare systems in Africa require political will from North African leaders: Amref official
    March 12, 2023
    EGX ready for government’s IPOs programme: Chairperson
    EGX ready for government’s IPOs programme: Chairperson
    February 15, 2023
    British International Investment invests $4.5bn in 700 businesses across Africa: Sherine Shohdy
    February 15, 2023
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Reading: Death toll of Rawda mosque, Al-Arish rises to 305, 128 injured: General Prosecution 
Share
Notification
Latest News
China’s president Xi met with the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in 2017. Reuters/Alamy
China’s latest diplomatic move will extend its trade, energy, financial and maritime power
Opinion Politics World
Saudi Arabia, to the surprise of many, chose China to broker its deal with Iran in March 2023. Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Image
As longterm partnership with US fades, Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its diplomacy – and recent deals with China, Iran and Russia fit this strategy
Opinion Politics
Japan's Nikkei ends higher, gains capped amid continued concerns over global financial crisis
Japan’s Nikkei ends higher, gains capped amid continued concerns over global financial crisis
Stock Market
Mass Israel protests after Netanyahu fires defence minister
Israeli PM calls for calm amid turmoil over government’s judicial overhaul
Politics
European Commission VP visits Egypt to discuss education, mobility, and migration issues
European Commission VP visits Egypt to discuss education, mobility, and migration issues
Business
Aa
Aa
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.
Dailynewsegypt > Blog > Egypt > Death toll of Rawda mosque, Al-Arish rises to 305, 128 injured: General Prosecution 
EgyptPolitics

Death toll of Rawda mosque, Al-Arish rises to 305, 128 injured: General Prosecution 

Sarah El-Sheikh
Last updated: 2017/11/25 at 6:59 PM
By Sarah El-Sheikh 7 Min Read
Share
EPA077. ARISH (EGIPTO), 24/11/2017.- Varias personas permanecen junto a cuerpos sin vida en el interior una mezquita contra la que se ha perpetrado un ataque, en la ciudad de Al Arish, en el norte de la península del Sinaí (Egipto), hoy 24 de noviembre de 2017. Al menos 54 personas murieron y 75 resultaron heridas en el ataque terrorista, informó hoy la agencia oficial de noticias, MENA. Los atacantes colocaron artefactos explosivos de fabricación casera alrededor de la mezquita y los hicieron detonar a la salida de los fieles del rezo del viernes, el día sagrado para los musulmanes, indicó una fuente de seguridad a Efe, que añadió que las personas que pudieron escapar fueron tiroteadas por los extremistas. EFE/ Str ATENCIÓN EDITORES AL CONTENIDO GRÁFICO/ MEJOR CALIDAD DISPONIBLE
SHARE

The death toll from the Rawda mosque attack in Al-Arish rose to 305, including 27 children, in addition to 128 injured, making the attack the deadliest in Egypt’s history, according to a statement issued by the General Prosecution on Saturday.

“Around 25 to 30 takfiri elements holding IS flags” appeared inside the mosque as its preacher was delivering the Friday sermon, and started shooting at prayer-attendees, the statement said according to information sent from the North Sinai directorate to the General Prosecution.

“The militants positioned in front of the door of the mosque and its twelve windows,” the statement said, meaning that gunmen surrounded the praying congregation from all sides of the mosque, to prevent their movement.

 

The statement continued that militants arrived at the mosque in five four-wheel-drive vehicles and burned seven cars belonging to mosque-goers.

Moreover, the statement also said that members of the General Prosecution have arrived to Al-Ismailia General and Al-Ismailia University hospitals, where the injured where transferred, to listen to their testimonies.

The testimonies stated that “the praying congregation heard sounds of shooting and bombing coming from outside the mosque,” followed by “the entrance of a number of persons inside the mosque…some of whom were masked and others were not,” adding that “one of them was holding a black flag with a print of the ‘Shahada’, an Islamic oath of creed, while all wore clothes resembling military uniform”. It further said that militants started randomly shooting at cars and the people praying inside the mosque, during the Friday sermon.

General Prosecutor Nabil Sadek ordered a prompt investigation into the attack to gather the required information to arrest the suspects and to take the necessary legal action. A team delegated from the General Prosecution arrived to the scene to survey the mosque.

Egypt’s Armed Forces launched air strikes, killing a number of militants in North Sinai, who were among the group involved in the attack on the mosque, according to a statement from a military spokesperson on Friday evening.

The attack against the mosque was an explosion due to an improvised explosive device (IED), according to local media reports, and coincided with the weekly Friday prayers. Local media reported that unknown militants opened fire at civilians after the explosion, as they attempted to escape the scene.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack thus far. However, both Hasm movement and Jund Al-Islam, an Al-Qaeda affiliated group in North Sinai, issued a statement denying responsibility. The latter group appeared in 2013 in Egypt, when it claimed responsibility for an attack against a Military Intelligence building located in the city of Rafah in Sinai. The attack resulted in the death and injury of several members of the army.

The Hasm movement appeared in early 2016 when, in August, the group said it was behind the failed assassination attempt of former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa. In October of the same year, militants driving a black private vehicle opened fire on army leader Adel Ragaai, assassinating him in front of his residence in Al-Obour City.

The reasons behind the attack are still unclear, as it is the first mosque attack in Egypt, although a number of Sufi sheikhs have previously been targetted in North Sinai. Up to this attack, terror attacks had been committed against security checkpoints, personnel, and churches.

The mosque, popular with Sufi worshippers, is located in Rawda village in Bir al-Abd, 40 kilometres west of the North Sinai capital of Al-Arish. The village has 2,211 residents, according to Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in 2016. Rawda village is not among the areas in North Sinai that have been under state of emergency since 2014.

In his first comments following the attack, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi offered condolences for the families of the victims, and asserted that the attack will not pass without punishment and decisiveness and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

“The pain felt by the Egyptian people in these difficult moments will not go in vain, but will drive them with hope and determination from such a pain to win this war, that is fought with honour and strength against black terrorism,” Al-Sisi added.

Al-Sisi reviewed reports about the incident and the developments of efforts to pursue the perpetrators of the attack, during an emergency meeting with the ministers of defence and interior and the head of intelligence.

The president declared a three-day state of mourning after the attack, and ordered the armed forces to build a monument in the village of Rawda commemorating the martyrs of the mosque attack. He also ordered EGP 200,000 and EGP 50,000 in compensation for the families of the dead and injured, respectively.

In a televised speech, the president vowed to respond to terrorism with brute force to maintain security and stability and to avenge the victims.

Foreign and Arab leaders have condemned the attack and offered condolences to Egypt, following the deadly attack. They further expressed support and solidarity for Egypt’s efforts to fight terrorism. Among the leaders were US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani also sent condolences to Al-Sisi. Earlier this year, Egypt cut its ties with Qatar, along with three Gulf countries, on the grounds that the country supports terrorism.

 

You Might Also Like

China’s latest diplomatic move will extend its trade, energy, financial and maritime power

As longterm partnership with US fades, Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its diplomacy – and recent deals with China, Iran and Russia fit this strategy

Israeli PM calls for calm amid turmoil over government’s judicial overhaul

US nuclear power plant in central Minnesota taken offline after new leak incident

Somalia says army kills over 3,000 Al-Shabab militants in 6 months

TAGGED: Al-Arish, Rawda mosque
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Previous Article Eastern Company revenues to increase by EGP 350m in FY 2017/18 on cigarette price hike
Next Article EETC, NIB agree to schedule EGP 32bn of arrears
17 Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ad image

Stay Connected

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Instagram Follow
Youtube Subscribe

Latest News

China’s president Xi met with the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in 2017. Reuters/Alamy
China’s latest diplomatic move will extend its trade, energy, financial and maritime power
Opinion Politics World
Saudi Arabia, to the surprise of many, chose China to broker its deal with Iran in March 2023. Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Image
As longterm partnership with US fades, Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its diplomacy – and recent deals with China, Iran and Russia fit this strategy
Opinion Politics
Japan's Nikkei ends higher, gains capped amid continued concerns over global financial crisis
Japan’s Nikkei ends higher, gains capped amid continued concerns over global financial crisis
Stock Market
Mass Israel protests after Netanyahu fires defence minister
Israeli PM calls for calm amid turmoil over government’s judicial overhaul
Politics
//
Egypt’s only independent daily newspaper in English. Discuss the country’s latest with the paper’s reporters, editors, and other readers.

Quick Link

  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc..

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?