Mass grave reveals scale of unlawful killings by Egyptian army in Sinai, say campaigners

"Bodies lying on the surface and others buried barely 30cm below were found at a burial site near a military outpost by the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights. The group discovered the mass graves while conducting research into disappearances and extrajudicial killings of civilians during a decade of conflict in the Sinai region between Egyptian security forces and Islamic State-aligned militants."

"This discovery not only sheds light on the scale of violations committed by the Egyptian army during the conflict, but also demonstrates a systematic pattern of unlawful killings and the secret burial of victims, carried out with total impunity. The Egyptian state denies having carried out forced displacement in Sinai but is accused of having displaced more than 150,000 indigenous residents and has never acknowledged any civilian casualties in Sinai during its war against IS."

"In a new report, SFHR identified the site of a mass grave south of the city of al-Arish, in an area with visible signs of a heavy military presence, including several bases and large sand trenches. The grave was only 350 metres from a road but was concealed by the military presence in an area that was heavily locked down during the peak periods of conflict between 2013 and 2022."

Human rights researchers found bodies on the surface and others buried barely 30cm deep at a burial site near a military outpost in North Sinai. The site was identified while investigating disappearances and extrajudicial killings of civilians during a decade of conflict between Egyptian security forces and Islamic State-aligned militants. The discovery indicates a systematic pattern of unlawful killings and secret burials carried out with impunity. The state denies forced displacement in Sinai despite accusations of displacing more than 150,000 indigenous residents and not acknowledging civilian casualties during the war against IS. The grave lies south of al-Arish near heavy military presence and was concealed despite proximity to a road.

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