Published on : Monday, January 7, 2019
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice states: “Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Egypt. It further states: “You should be vigilant at all times and follow the advice of the Egyptian authorities and your travel company, if you have one. There have been threats to western nationals, institutions and businesses posted on websites and social media. The main threat to foreigners is from extremists linked to Daesh-Sinai. There is a heightened threat of terrorist attacks targeting Coptic Christians from extremists linked to Daesh-Sinai in Egypt.
Tourists are advised to avoid crowded places and gatherings, including in or around religious sites and during religious festivals, such as the month of Ramadan and the Christmas period (including Coptic Christmas) and local holiday weekends. These are the times vulnerable to the terrorist attacks.
Mustafa Abid, a highly trained specialist in mine clearance, died while detonating the bomb hidden in a bag on a roof by a church in Nasr City, just outside Cairo, on Saturday. The bomb was laid at the site just two days before Egypt’s Christmas celebrations. Egyptian Christians – or Copts – celebrate Coptic Christmas on January 7.
Coptic Christians are the largest religious minority in Egypt with a population of over 10 million, and were once the majority religious group in the state before most converted to Islam in the 640s CE.
Around 319,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2017.