(AFP File Photo)
Egyptian authorities arrested nine Palestinians for entering Egyptian “territorial waters” on the coast of Rafah, state-run news agency MENA reported on Friday.
Investigations are currently underway on the reasons the detainees, who are reportedly fishermen, were present in the region.
According to Palestinian news agency Ma’an, as well as other media outlets, the Palestinians were fishing close to the Egyptian-Rafah border. Egyptian naval forces stopped their boat with gunfire as it was attempting to return to Gaza Strip waters.
Meanwhile, four Palestinians were arrested during armed forces operations in North Sinai during the month of February and the first week of March, according to statements by the military spokesman.
The Egyptian-Rafah area, along with Al-Arish and Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai, have witnessed the presence of a high-profile insurgency since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Following the two attacks in North Sinai on 24 October 2014 and 29 January this year, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi referred to the involvement of “foreign elements”, mainly referring to the Palestinian Hamas movement in both operations.
Intensive security measures were taken on the back of this to prevent the infiltration of “terrorists” and weapons, including the almost permanent closure of the Rafah border connecting Egypt with the Gaza Strip. A 5km buffer zone was also created to destroy all smuggling tunnels leading in and out of Sinai.
The two attacks, however, were claimed by Sinai-based militant group “State of Sinai”, formerly known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis.
The Egyptian armed forces have been engaged in a “war” with North Sinai militants, and have killed more than 250 during February to mid-March. Additionally, a large number of militants and suspected militants were arrested while numerous hideouts were destroyed.
Despite the security campaigns to secure the region, insurgent activities targeting security personnel and civilians are still ongoing with dead civilians being found on a “daily” basis, according to a North Sinai resident who said that the occurrence is no longer “unusual”.
