Egypt’s air force bombed Islamic State targets inside Libya on Monday, the first time Egypt confirmed launching air strikes against the group suggesting President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is ready to escalate his battle against the militants.
Cairo residents, speaking to Reuters, reacted on Monday (February 16) with distress and disgust at the news that Islamic State appeared to have beheaded 21 Christian Egyptians in Libya.
The 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, who had gone to Libya in search of jobs, were marched to a beach, forced to kneel and then beheaded, according to the video, broadcast via a website that supports Islamic State.
Egypt responded by bombing Islamic State targets inside Libya.
The headlines on several newspapers called for ‘revenge’.
Cairo resident Mohsen Aly said the news of the apparent beheadings left him sleepless.
“I swear this is a criminal terrorist act done by people who have absolutely nothing to do with religion, and really, personally, I didn’t sleep last night after what happened, all Egyptians couldn’t sleep, and I am very happy with Sisi’s reaction because he avenged the Egyptian people from the criminal terrorist act, we’re all behind Sisi, whatever he does against those infidels. They are infidels and we must repel them and Sisi must react with a destructive earthquake to teach them to respect the rights of the Egyptian people,” Ali said.
Mohamed Wagdy was worried that this type of terrorism makes Islam look bad.
“It gives the whole world a horrible and disgusting image of Islam and Arab countries. This is imposed on us by foreign countries, or terrorist groups to be more specific, or foreign, personal interests, whoever is behind it, but they are personal interests, the interest of some countries at the expense of other countries,” he said.
Until now, Egypt has not taken part directly in the U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria, focusing instead on the increasingly complex insurgency within its own borders. (Reuters)
