A Coptic church was bombed in Kafr el-Dawar on Mar. 9, injuring two police guards. An Egyptian Army officer was killed by gunmen in Rafah, North Sinai on Mar. 11; two additional attacks in Al-Arish on Mar. 10 killed a civilian, a security officer and injured 45 people. Military airstrikes killed 11 suspected jihadists on the Sinai on Mar. 11; the raid targeted a leader of Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis. Egyptian Interior Minister Magdi Abdel Ghaffer said his country is in an “existential war” with jihadist groups.
