Isıl Purportedly Lauds Egypt Attacks, Urges More

The militant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group on Monday purportedly urged those it referred to as "Sinai Jihadists" to step up their attacks on Egyptian troops.



"Rays of hope have appeared in [Egypt] thanks to your blessed operations against the guardians of the Jews," a voice – said to be that of ISIL spokesman Abu Mohamed al-Adnani – said in a recording.



The recording appeared only one day after two policemen were killed and five other people were injured – including an army conscript – by an explosive device in downtown Cairo.  



The device, according to the Interior Ministry, had been planted in a tree behind ministry headquarters near a police checkpoint.



A shadowy terrorist group calling itself "Agnad Misr" later claimed responsibility for the attack, vowing to carry out more operations against Egyptian security personnel.



In the recording, Al-Adnani purportedly calls on "Sinai militants" to continue attacking Egyptian troops, going on to describe this strategy as the "right way."



"Kill them from behind, wherever you meet them," the man says in the recording. "Plant explosives on the roads, attack their headquarters, storm their homes and cut their heads off."



Attacks on Egyptian police and army personnel have risen sharply – particularly in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula – since last year's ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi by the army.  



The ISIL, which includes thousands of foreign militants, has recently overrun large swathes of Iraq and Syria.



Videos purporting to show the group cutting the heads of its opponents and killing army troops, however, have appalled observers across the world.



The U.S. is currently trying to drum up international support for a proposed military campaign against the group in Iraq and Syria.



By Islam Mosaad



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire