Horror struck in a crowded mosque in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt in what is being called the deadliest modern terror attack the country has seen. A bomb was set off, followed by gunshots raining on the worshippers who were trying to flee the horrific scene. A staggering 305 people were killed in the attack by militants, with another 128 injured. Among the dead, 27 were children.
The attack was perpetrated by 25 to 30 militants carrying an Islamic flag, according to a statement released by Nabil Sadek, Egypt’s top prosecutor. They stationed themselves outside the windows and the door of the mosque and entering wielding automatic weapons. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The mosque and surroundings after the attack were chaotic, as nearby cars had been set aflame and ambulances arriving at the mosque were riddled with bullets. The aftermath was devastating. Ibrahim Sheteewi, a resident of a town close to where the attack took place, said, “The scene was horrific. The bodies were scattered on the ground outside the mosque. I hope God punishes them for this.” Local hospitals were swamped with the wounded. Accounts say that so many were injured that some had to be transported by cattle car to receive medical assistance.
While Egypt has weathered church attacks before, the target of a Muslim place of worship was startling, as most targets have been Coptic Christian Churches. H.A. Hellyer, senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council and Royal United Services Institute, says, “With the Christian attacks, it seemed aimed at creating some sort of divide within Egyptian society the radical groups could then take advantage of. They failed. Now they’re going after anybody that doesn’t support what they want to do.”
Salama, a 40-year-old whose family fled from the fighting and moved to the town where the mosque is located, had six relatives killed in the vicious attack. “We came here two years ago because al Rawda was the safest and most peaceful town, but by God we aren’t going to stay here.”
