BREAKING NEWS

Rights group accuses Egypt of mass demolition of homes in Sinai

By REUTERS

MAY 22, 2018 13:47

CAIRO - Human Rights Watch accused Egypt on Tuesday of mass demolition of homes in the Sinai Peninsula, some of which it said might be illegal, as the military fights an Islamist militants insurgency in the remote desert region.

The New York-based rights watchdog said demolitions, which have taken place in recent years to create buffer zones on borders such as that with Gaza, had increased significantly.

They were also being used to punish suspected militants and their relatives.

Egypt's military did not immediately comment on the report. It has rejected previous reports by HRW on Sinai, saying they relied on "undocumented sources."

Egypt in February launched a highly-publicized operation against Islamic State militants who have waged years of attacks against security forces and more recently against civilians in which hundreds of people have been killed.

As part of a push against the militants, authorities announced they were razing farmland and properties for several km around the town of al-Arish in North Sinai.

After militants stepped up their attacks against Egyptian forces in 2013, the military razed an extensive area along the border with Gaza.

HRW said the authorities had demolished more than 3,000 buildings and razed farmland within a 12 km (7.5 miles) area along the Gaza border, as well as scores of buildings near al-Arish.

Reuters could not independently verify HRW's report. Egypt does not allow international media to travel to North Sinai to report.

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