Now the area is the centre of a yearslong, bloody conflict between the Egyptian military and a local affiliate of ISIL. Egypt has struggled to defeat the insurgency, led by the ISIL affiliate known as the Sinai Province of ISIL. Thousands of security forces and civilians have been killed, and thousands more arrested in what critics describe as a heavy-handed security crackdown. The Egyptian military in the past balked at arming the Bedouins for fear the weapons could be turned against security forces. The Bedouins have long complained of discrimination by the government, lack of development and abuses by security forces.

Source: National Post September 27, 2018 06:29 UTC