Incident Summary:

10/20/2017: Assailants, armed with rocket propelled grenades and missiles, opened fire on a police convoy along the Al-Wahat Al-Baharia road in Giza, Egypt. In addition to an unknown number of assailants, at least 16 police officers were killed and 13 others were injured while one officer was reported missing in the attack. Ansar al-Islam (Egypt) claimed responsibility for the incident.

GTD ID:
201710210035

When:
2017-10-20

Country:
Egypt

Region:
Middle East & North Africa

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Giza

City:
Unknown

Location Details:
The incident occurred 135 kilometers southwest of Giza, along the Al-Wahat Al-Baharia road.

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Armed Assault
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Police
Name of Entity Central Security Forces (CSF)
Specific Description Convoy
Nationality of Target Egypt
Additional Information
Hostages Yes
Number of Hostages 1
US Hostages 0
Days of Kidnapping 11
Outcome Successful Rescue
Ransom No
Property Damage Unknown
Extent of Property Damage Unknown
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Explosives Projectile (rockets, mortars, RPGs, etc.)
Firearms Unknown Gun Type
Weapon Details
Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), missiles, and firearms were used in the attack.
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?No
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) Yes
Alternate Designation (more) Lack of Intentionality
Additional Information There is doubt that this incident meets terrorism-related criteria. Sources noted that the police were on an offensive operation when they were attacked and it is unclear whether or not the assailants lured them into the ambush. Casualty numbers conflict across sources. Following GTD protocol, the lowest reliable estimates are reported here.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Ansar al-Islam (Egypt) Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: E-mail)
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 16 Fatalities / 13 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 16
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities Unknown
Total Number of Injured 13
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured Unknown
Sources
"Egypt Western Desert attack exposes front outside Sinai," Reuters News, November 7, 2017.
"New al Qaeda-linked group claims responsibility for major Egypt attack," Reuters News, November 3, 2017.
"Egypt disputes reported death toll from desert shoot-out," BBC, October 23, 2017.