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Egyptian Authorities Throw Security Dragnet Across Churches

Egyptian security services cordon off the site of a bomb attack next to a police checkpoint in the western Talibiya district of the capital Cairo on December 9, 2016 (AFP Photo/STRINGER)
Egyptian security services cordon off the site of a bomb attack next to a police checkpoint in the western Talibiya district of the capital Cairo on December 9, 2016 (AFP Photo/STRINGER)
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Egyptian Authorities Throw Security Dragnet Across Churches

Egyptian security services cordon off the site of a bomb attack next to a police checkpoint in the western Talibiya district of the capital Cairo on December 9, 2016 (AFP Photo/STRINGER)
Egyptian security services cordon off the site of a bomb attack next to a police checkpoint in the western Talibiya district of the capital Cairo on December 9, 2016 (AFP Photo/STRINGER)

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi extended on Friday his wishes to Egyptian expatriates on the occasion of Christmas and the New Year.

Via a Facebook post, the Egyptian President said: “I am wishing you success and happiness, and that the new year will bring our beloved Egypt more security, stability, progress and prosperity.”

Meanwhile, Egypt’s security forces upped security measures around churches on the eve of the Coptic Orthodox Christmas.

In the Shobra district north of Cairo, where many Copts reside, armed forces blocked a main street near a large church and placed metal barricades to prevent vehicles from parking in the area.

At the St. Mary Church in al-Matariyyah district in the northern region of Greater Cairo, security forces placed a narrow metal gate.

“Such measures reflect caution and not fear. They aim to provide worshipers some safety and peace while praying,” a church official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

This year, Copts will celebrate their Christmas mass on January 6 amid the opening of the “The Nativity of the Christ Cathedral” in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, which lies 60 kilometers east of Cairo.

The mass will be attended by Sisi and Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II, the Church said in a statement.

In 2011, 21 people died and another 97 were injured in an attack in Alexandria which targeted Christian worshipers as they were leaving a New Year service.

In 2017, attacks in Alexandria and Tanta targeted Coptic churches on Palm Sunday, killing 47 and injuring more than 120.

Other attacks have also targeted Christians in Egypt.

A security source said that this year, the Egyptian Interior Ministry has drawn airtight security dragnets around churches.

In 2015, Sisi became the first Egyptian President to attend Christmas Mass.

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Arab World

Syria’s Military Operations Command Targets Warlords, Associates of Asma al-Assad

Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
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Syria’s Military Operations Command Targets Warlords, Associates of Asma al-Assad

Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)
Photos of the missing hang on the main gate of Saydnaya prison, north Damascus (AFP)

Detainees at Hama Central Prison, who surrendered or were captured during battles that toppled Assad regime positions, will face trial on Thursday, a UK-based war monitor reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), trials will be held in batches.
A judicial committee linked to the Justice Ministry of the interim government formed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) will handle the cases, SOHR director Rami Abdul Rahman told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The “Military Command Administration” is carrying out raids in Syria’s coastal regions, Hama, and Homs to arrest warlords accused of profiting from the conflict, the SOHR reported.
The campaign targets figures tied to regime leaders, including associates of Asma al-Assad, the ousted president’s wife, and former officials accused of war crimes.
The campaign is targeting officers, militias, and informants accused of crimes against Syrians, according to the SOHR.
After the regime’s collapse and intensified fighting, hundreds of officers and fighters surrendered, with many now detained as prisoners of war.
The SOHR has urged treating detainees according to international laws, allowing them to contact their families, and ensuring fair trials before independent courts.
The organization also called for convicted individuals to be informed of legal procedures and the timelines for each step.

The White Helmets have uncovered around 20 unidentified bodies and skeletal remains in a drug warehouse near the Sayyida Zainab area in Damascus, Syrian Civil Defense official Ammar Al-Salmo said on Wednesday.
Sayyida Zainab, a southern Damascus district, was a Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militia stronghold since 2012. These groups claimed to defend the site during Syria’s uprising. According to AFP, they have now been replaced by local armed groups.
Al-Salmo, speaking near the shrine, said, “We received reports of foul odors and remains in the warehouse.”
A small refrigerator held about 10 decomposed bodies, with bones and skulls scattered across the room.
The remains, believed to be 1-2 years old, were collected for DNA testing.
Bashar al-Assad fled Syria on December 8 after opposition forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham launched a rapid offensive, ending 13 years of his regime’s oppression of opposition protests.
The SOHR reported that military authorities are prosecuting individuals linked to war crimes under public pressure for justice and to prevent acts of personal retribution. Accountability for crimes remains a core demand of the Syrian revolution.