This Day in History: 24 November 2020
24 November 2017
3 years ago, today, a bomb destroyed a mosque in Egypt's northern Sinai region as terrorists opened fire on those finishing Friday prayer at the al-Rawdah mosque. This attack killed 305 people, including 27 children, and wounded 120, making it the deadliest terrorist strike in the country's recent years. It also served as a cruel turning point for the country. The attacks had been common since 2013, when the current president overthrew President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, attacks on mosques had been rare, as the terrorists had previously been attacking Coptic Christian churches and security forces, but generally avoided Muslim houses of prayer.
The attack occurred just days before the prophet Muhammad's birthday, when the mosque was full of worshippers. 25-30 militants pulled up in vehicles and fired on worshipped from the mosque's main door and 12 large windows. Several bombs and rocket-propelled grenades went off as worshippers tried to flee. The gunmen set fire to cars parked outside and shot at arriving ambulances to hinder escape. While no group took responsibility, evidence pointed to ISIS. Hours after the attack, Egypt's military launched air strikes on targets in mountainous areas around the city, and three days of national mourning was declared.
Want to find out more about the 2017 Sinai terrorist attack? Click here for more information.
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