The 2014 Farafra ambush (also called 2014 Al-Wadi Al-Gedid attack) occurred on 19 July 2014 when unidentified gunmen ambushed a desert checkpoint in the Farafra Oasis Road in
Egypt's
New Valley Governorate. Twenty-two border guards were killed in the attack,[2] which was one of the biggest since the
July 2013 ouster of Egyptian president
Mohamed Morsi and the second at the same checkpoint in less than three months.[3][4][5]
Background
Militant groups such as
Ansar Bait al-Maqdis have ramped up an anti-military campaign that involves bombings and shootings in Egypt since the
2013 coup d'état which saw the removal of President
Mohamed Morsi, followed by a violent
crackdown on his supporters.[6] The same checkpoint was attacked less than two months earlier when five army conscripts were killed by gunmen.[3][7]
The perpetrators of the second attack were initially described as
smugglers by security officials interviewed by Reuters, who said that they are being paid by their militant comrades in Egypt to ship them weapons from Libya,[8] a country plagued by
instability following the 2011
NATO-backed
uprising that toppled
Muammar Gaddafi.[6]
Attack
The checkpoint, situated on the
Farafra Oasis Road near the borders with Libya,[7] was attacked by 20 gunmen, initially described as smugglers, in weapon-mounted vehicles with
machine guns as well as
rocket-propelled grenades that were used to blow up an ammunitions storage. After the 30-minute exchange of fire, the checkpoint was destroyed, with twenty-one soldiers killed, some of them burned, and some others wounded. This was followed by clashes where three of the attackers were killed by security forces. The militants also tried to infiltrate the site with two booby trapped vehicles, but the army said that they were retrieved and defused by bomb experts. Ambulances were sent to the location, as well as reinforcements which included army helicopters and special forces to hunt down the militants.[4][7][9]
Investigation
Military investigations showed that one of the vehicles used was stolen from the previous incident on the same checkpoint. They also indicated that the attack was planned and that heavy
cast bullets were found at the site. The slain attackers were held by authorities and were later identified as non-Egyptians by the military prosecutor. A security source suspected the involvement of
Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, adding that an
Islamic black standard was raised during the assault.[10]
Convictions
On 11 October 2017, thirteen people were sentenced to death by a military court for their involvement in the attack—twelve of them in absentia.[11] An additional ten people were convicted in absentia in December 2017, including
Hesham Ashmawy of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis.[12] Ashmawy was captured by the
Libyan National Army on 8 October 2018,[13] and extradited to Egypt in May 2019.[14] In November 2019, he was sentenced to death for the attack, as well as for thirteen other crimes.[2]
Reactions
Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a presidential decree where he announced three days of national mourning, calling the incident a "terrorist attack".[15] The presidency released a statement saying that the "heinous crime that took these brave souls and spilled their blood will not go unanswered". "Terrorism will be uprooted from every part of Egypt. All those responsible for perpetrating these acts and acting outside of the law will receive their rightful punishment," the statement added.[6] The government declared a
state of emergency along the borders with
Sudan several hours after the attacks, while Defense Minister
Sedki Sobhi's concerns were about the
Egyptian-Libyan border due to weak Libyan government measures to counter the threat of weapons' smuggling into Egypt. He added that the military was coordinating with the Interior Ministry in a large surveillance operation in the area. The president-led National Defence Council met the same night, where it was vowed that the attack would be avenged.[10]
Arab League – Secretary-General of the Arab League,
Nabil Elaraby, condemned the incident, adding that it was an attempt to destabilize Egypt's security and stability. He also stressed the league's support for the country against all forms of terrorism.[16]
France – France's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack in a statement, offering its condolences to the victims' families. "France stands beside the authorities and people of Egypt in their fight against terrorism," it added.[17]
Jordan – Jordanian Minister of State and Media Affairs,
Mohamed al-Momani, condemned the attack and expressed the kingdom's solidarity with the Egyptian people in their struggle against terrorism stressing Jordan's position "which rejects all acts of terrorism and violence regardless of the motives and sources".[18] Later that day, King
Abdullah II phoned both Egypt and
Tunisia's presidents, due to
a similar attack in Tunisia two days earlier, offering them his condolences and condemning "such cowardly terrorist acts". He also expressed his solidarity with Egypt and Tunisia, as well as the families of the victims.[19]
Sudan – The Sudanese government condemned the attack, stressing its "keenness on Egypt's security and stability" and rejecting any similar act. "The government of Sudan would like to convey through the Foreign Ministry the condolences and sympathy of the Sudanese people and government to the Egyptian government and people as well as the families and relatives of the martyrs", it said in a statement.[20]
Tunisia – The Tunisian presidency released a
Facebook statement condemning the attack. "Tunisia condemns this terrorist and coward attack on the Egyptian army," the statement said. It also offered condolences to the Egyptian people and government.[21]
United Kingdom – Minister
Tobias Ellwood of the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office condemned the attack, offering his condolences and his support for the investigation. "I strongly condemn the appalling terrorist attack on a border guard checkpoint near Farafra on Saturday. My thoughts are with the families of those killed and wounded and all those affected. The Egyptian authorities have our support as they investigate this incident and seek to prevent further attacks," he said.[22]
United States – The
United States Department of State released a press statement condemning the incident. "We extend our condolences to the families of the victims, and hope for the quick and full recovery of the wounded. A prosperous and dynamic Egypt requires an environment of security and stability, and the United States continues to support the Egyptian Government’s efforts to counter the threat of terrorism in Egypt as part of our commitment to the strategic partnership between our two countries," the statement read.[23]