Suspected militants armed
with rocket-propelled grenades struck two buses carrying security
forces and killed the soldiers in the city of Rafah, on the border
between Egypt and Gaza, state-run Nile TV reported.
The Sinai Peninsula is a
lawless area that was the site of frequent attacks even before Egypt's
latest round of turmoil. In May, for example, seven Egyptian solders
were kidnapped and held for six days there, a spokesman for Egypt's
armed forces said.
But the attack
underscores the persistent tension across the country since the military
ousted democratically elected President Mohamed Morsy in a coup.
Egypt turmoil spreads to Sinai
Mourning a victim of Egyptian violence
Police killed, wounded in Egypt protests
Reporters under fire in Egypt
Over the past week, about 900 people -- security forces as well as citizens -- have been killed.
Deaths occurred when the
military used force to clear two pro-Morsy sit-in sites in Cairo on
Wednesday and violence raged after pro-Morsy supporters staged
demonstrations Friday.
On Sunday, at least 36
jailed members of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement, were
killed in what the Interior Ministry called an attempted jailbreak.
Morsy supporters, many of
whom are members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and those aligned with the
military-backed interim government blame each other for stoking the
violence.
As for the Sinai ambush, the Brotherhood condemned the attack on Egyptian soldiers.
"Our peaceful protests
(are) stronger than any weapon, and we don't accept any violence," said
Murad Mohamad Ali, media adviser to the Brotherhood's Freedom and
Justice Party.
International response called weak, ineffective
The carnage has spurred a
call from leading human rights group Amnesty International for a "full,
impartial and effective investigation in the shocking loss of life."
"The interim government
has already stained its human rights record -- first by breaking its
promises to use nonlethal weapons to disperse pro-Morsi sit-ins and
allow for the safe exit of wounded, and then by justifying their actions
despite the tragic loss of lives," said Salil Shetty, secretary-general
of Amnesty International.
"The response of the
international community has been weak and ineffective, even as everyone
leaps to condemn the horrific loss of life. The international community
must act decisively to send a message that no government can behave this
way and retain any credibility."
The group documented a
rise in civil strife since the July 3 coup and cited "a string of
serious human rights abuses, culminating in the wholesale attack by the
security forces" on pro-Morsy sit-ins last week.
"These abuses have
included an alarming and unprecedented rise in sectarian violence
against Coptic Christians across the country, "seemingly in retaliation
for their support" for Morsy's ouster.
It cited abuses by pro-Morsy protesters "including beatings, torture and killings.
"In recent days, the
scale of violence by some Morsy supporters have manifestly increased, as
some attacked government buildings and police stations and personnel.
Some protesters have also fired live ammunition on local residents,"
Amnesty said.
The crackdown also
spurred a call from a leading U.S. senator, John McCain, to cut off its
$1.3 billion in aid to Egypt. He said the United States has failed to
follow its own rule requiring suspending aid to states overtaken by a
military coup -- though the U.S. has not officially described the recent
regime change in Egypt as a coup.
"We have no credibility.
We do have influence, but when you don't use that influence, then you
do not have that influence," McCain said on CNN's "State of the Union."
Mubarak in court
As the upheaval persists
in Egypt, Mubarak's court cases grind on. In Cairo, a criminal court
acquitted the former president in a corruption case, Egyptian state TV
reported Monday.
The case stemmed from
accusations of squandering public money allocated for renovating
presidential palaces. He also faces at least one other outstanding
corruption claim.
Separately, Mubarak is
also facing a more serious accusation: that he was involved in the
killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising.
A Cairo court on Saturday adjourned a retrial in that case to Sunday, August 25.
Mubarak ruled Egypt, the
most populous Arab country, for three decades until demonstrators
opposing his rule forced his ouster in 2011. He was convicted in 2012 in
the deaths of numerous protesters, but was later granted a retrial.
After a lengthy trial,
he and his former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, were found guilty
and sentenced to life in prison last year on charges that they were
complicit in the protesters' killings. After appealing their
convictions, they were granted a new trial early this year.
Mubarak has been held
since his guilty verdict last year. After months spent in a military
hospital, a public prosecutor sent him back to prison in April.
The ousted autocratic
leader's health has been a bone of contention during his trial and
incarceration. He suffered a heart attack after relinquishing power and
had said that he was physically unfit to stand trial.
No comments:
Post a Comment