HRW accuses Egypt forces, militants of Sinai ‘war crimes’

BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused both Egyptian security forces and insurgents of committing “war crimes” in North Sinai, the scene of a bloody years-long insurgency and military crackdown.

“While Egyptian military and police forces were responsible for the majority of abuses documented in the report, extremist militants have also committed horrific crimes,” the New York-based group said in a 134-page report. “Some of the abuses carried out by government forces and the militants, which this report documents, are war crimes, and their widespread and systematic nature could amount to crimes against humanity.” Egypt has for years been fighting a hardened insurgency in North Sinai, which escalated following the 2013 military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Since then, militants have killed hundreds of police officers and soldiers. Military spokesman Colonel Tamer al-Rifai rejected the HRW report as “untruthful”.

“It is based on unverified sources. Some politicised organisations are intent on tarnishing Egypt´s image and its armed forces with baseless claims,” he told AFP. In February 2018, the army launched an operation against the militants, focusing mainly on North Sinai province.